Alleged Teacher Sex Search Warrant Still a Concern for Redlands Unified School District

The superintendent for Redlands Unified School District has issued another statement about Laura Elizabeth Whitehurst, the 28-year-old teacher accused of 41 sex felonies with three former students and giving birth to a baby conceived with one of them.

The district is offering "professional counseling" for any student who could benefit from it, Superintendent Lori Rhodes announced in the wake of the District Attorney's filing of formal charges against Whitehurst on Monday July 8.

Rhodes issued a statement over the weekend denying the district deliberately failed to report concerns about Whitehurst and her sexual relationship with the 17-year-old father of her baby.

Her statement was prompted by the emergence of a Redlands police search warrant and affidavit that names Assistant Superintendent Sabine Robertson-Phillips and Citrus Valley High Principal Bernard Cavanagh, who could not be reached to comment for this report.

The July 3 warrant and affidavit, filed by Redlands police Detective Dominick Povero and signed by Superior Court Judge Richard V. Peel, includes a statement of probable cause that concludes in part:

"Evidence from email communication and personnel files may show teachers, school administrators, and district administrators failed to report supected child abuse as mandated."

Robertson-Phillips and Cavanagh questioned Whitehurst and her alleged student lover on May 16 and May 17 about their relationship, Povero stated in the search warrant affidavit.

"Sabine Robertson-Phillips and Bernard Cavanagh both confirmed they conducted an investigation regarding Whitehurst's relationship with V-John Doe," Povero stated. "No report was made in May 2013 to CPS (San Bernardino County Child Protective Services) or law enforcement regarding Whitehurst and V-John Doe abuse."

Rhodes' July 6 statement denying the district deliberately failed to report concerns about Whitehurst and her relationship with the Citrus Valley student included the following:

"Suggestions that the Redlands Unified School District deliberately failed to report an alleged sexual relationship between a teacher and a student are incorrect."

The school district received "the first credible information" about a possible relationship on Monday July 1, when the mother of the alleged victim reported it to the district, Rhodes said.

"As required by law, the Redlands Police Department was notified right away. In fact, Assistant Superintendent Sabine Robertson-Phillips spoke with the police immediately after taking the mother's statement and while the mother was still present."

Whitehurst and the Citrus Valley student she conceived a baby with first met during a school-sponsored trip to Disneyland when the boy was 16, Povero said in the search warrant affidavit.

"Shortly after meeting at Disneyland, V-John Doe and Whitehurst began a sexual relationship, which included numerous instances of sexual intercourse and sexual oral copulation," Povero said.

Whitehurst became pregnant in September of 2012, and told the student he had been her only recent sexual partner and he was the father of the fetus, Povero said.

"During the pregnancy, V-John Doe and Whitehurst continued their sexual relationship, having sexual intercourse and oral copulation weekly," Povero said.

Whitehurst gave birth to a child on June 18, shortly after the boy, now 17, graduated with the Blackhawks Class of 2013. He attended the birth, Povero said. She was first arrested by Redlands police on Monday July 1.

The charges filed against Whitehurst by prosecutors on Monday July 8 include 30 counts of unlawful sexual intercourse with the Citrus Valley student between July 1, 2012 and June 11, 2013.

In addition, Whitehurst is charged by prosecutors with 11 counts of oral copulation of a person under 18 in 2007 and 2008, with two boys who were her students at Redlands High School.

If convicted as charged, she could face up to 29 years in state prison.

Whitehurst was re-arrested by Redlands police at 1:52 p.m. Monday July 8 in the 200 block of Jesse Way, at her parent's home in Redlands, according to inmate records.

Whitehurst is scheduled to appear in San Bernardino Superior Court later today, Tuesday July 9, according to inmate records. She remained locked up Tuesday morning at West Valley Detention Center, where she was held on $750,000 bail.

To read previous Redlands-Loma Linda Patch coverage of the allegations against Whitehurst, click the following links:

REDLANDS TEACHER SEX: Whitehurst Now Accused of 41 Sex Felonies with Former Students

Redlands Unified School District Denies Deliberate Failure to Report Teacher-Student Sex

MORE TEACHER SEX ALLEGED: Former RHS Students Claim Sexual Acts with Laura Whitehurst in Her Car, Classroom, Apartment

ALLEGED TEACHER SEX VIDEO UPDATE: Redlands School District Issues Statement

UPDATE: High School Teacher, 28, Accused of Having Sex and Baby with Student, 16