Ex-teacher at St. Paul school charged for classroom encounter
A onetime substitute teacher at a St. Paul charter school has been charged with criminal sexual conduct for an alleged classroom incident involving a 17-year-old student.
Caitlin K. Thao, 24, of St. Paul was charged in Ramsey County District Court last week with third-degree criminal sexual conduct. The incident happened at St. Paul City School earlier this year.
A nationwide warrant has been issued for Thao's arrest. Messages were left with Thao seeking her response to the allegations. Court records do not list an attorney.
Eric Fergen, interim executive director for the charter school on West University Avenue, said Friday that Thao "hasn't worked with us for quite a few months." Fergen declined to comment further.
According to the criminal complaint and a related court filing, the teenage boy told police on March 13 that the two had a sexual encounter about 1½ months earlier in an otherwise empty middle school classroom where Thao taught. Thao later invited the teen over to her home but he declined, according to the court documents.
After Thao resigned in late February, she reported the sexual conduct to a social worker while in the Regions Hospital mental health unit, according to the court documents.
