A Two Rivers teacher is accused of sexually assaulting a high school student

Fulfilling our obligation: This report is part of the Herald Times Reporter's mission to follow criminal cases from arrest to their conclusion.

TWO RIVERS - Rebecca Kilps, a 34-year-old former Spanish teacher at Two Rivers High School, has been charged with three counts of sexual assault of a student by school staff, according to a criminal complaint filed Thursday.

In separate statements to police, both Kilps and the victim, a 17-year-old student in Kilps' Spanish class, admitted to having sexual encounters with one another. Kilps said she and the student had sex three times from late March to early May, the complaint said.

Kilps' husband also called police on Tuesday evening, claiming he had looked through her phone on May 12 and found messages between Kilps and the victim "talking about a future together and saying they love each other," the complaint said.

Kilps said she hoped to end her relationship with her husband after the victim graduated, and she knew her relationship with him was illegal, police said. She claimed she has had no other inappropriate relationships with students.

Kilps has since resigned from her position, said school district administrator Diane Johnson in a news release Tuesday.

"There are no circumstances in which an inappropriate relationship is acceptable and the district will not tolerate conduct that adversely affects the safety and security of students," the district said.

Kilps was released from custody Wednesday on a $10,000 cash bond, according to public case files. Her initial court hearing is scheduled for May 31.

If convicted, Kilps may face a maximum fine of $10,000 and a maximum sentence of six years for each count, which is a Class H felony under state law.

Contact Rebecca Loroff at 920-907-7801 or rloroff@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter: Two Rivers High School teacher Rebecca Kilps accused of sexual assault