High School Teacher Dies After Being Arrested For Sexually Abusing Underage Students

A 44-year-old high school teacher in Alabama died by suicide after being charged with the alleged rape and sodomy of two underage students, authorities said.

Leslie Gillespie, who was a teacher at R.A. Hubbard High School in North Courtland, Lawrence County, was found dead at her home in Hillsboro at around 11:30 a.m. Saturday, WAFF reported.

Gillespie died of a self-inflicted gunshot, Lawrence County Coroner Scott Norwood confirmed.

The body of the 44-year-old English teacher has been transported to the Department of Forensics in Huntsville for autopsy.

On Thursday, Gillespie was booked on felony charges for allegedly sexually abusing two male students, who were aged 15 and 16 when the incident occurred in September 2020, according to court records. The Lawrence County Sheriff's Office said the alleged incident happened in Gillespie’s classroom after school hours.

Gillespie was booked on two counts of a school employee engaging in a sex act with a student younger than 19 and one counts each of second-degree rape and second-degree sodomy at the Lawrence County Jail. She was released Thursday on a $60,000 bail.

Lawrence County Schools Superintendent Jon Bret Smith was aware of the arrest and issued an official statement, WAAY-TV reported.

“The Lawrence County school district has been made aware that an employee has been arrested," he stated. "Our school district treats this type of situation with the highest level of care. District leaders are conducting an investigation into this matter and will support law enforcement as they do the same."

"While the district cannot provide any specific details at this time, we want to emphasize that there is nothing more important to Lawrence County Schools than the safety and well-being of our students. The district will work diligently and expediently to resolve this situation," he continued.

Before her death, Gillespie was placed on administrative leave as a result of the matter. Before she took her life, the 44-year-old was honored as teacher of the year at R.A. Hubbard High School in 2019.