A former "Teacher of the Year" in California was arrested on Thursday after she allegedly had sex with a 16-year-old boy, and now authorities believe "there may be additional victims," according to a news release by the San Bernardino County Office.
The 38-year-old math teacher, Tracy Vanderhulst, started working at Yucaipa High School in San Bernardino County in 2013, and was named "Teacher of the Year" in 2017. At the time, according to CBS, the school had praised the teacher in a tweet as someone who "offers up a rigorous mathematics curriculum and deep caring for her students" — a compliment that didn't age well. But the tweet has since been deleted.
From CBS:
Tracy Vanderhulst, a 38-year-old math teacher at Yucaipa High School, was arrested late Thursday night for unlawful sexual intercourse involving a minor and held on $30,000 bail, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Office said in a news release. It was not immediately clear if the minor was a student at the high school. …
According to a citation quoted by the News Mirror, Vanderhulst "epitomizes the educator so many desire to be — she is the kind and innovative teacher from whom we hope our children will grow; the educator who strives to engage all of her students from her intervention classes to her honors classes." …
As they continue to investigate the incident, detectives released Vanderhulst's booking photo as they work to determine if there are additional victims. …
Anyone with more information is asked to contact them at (909) 890-4904.
