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Mesa teacher facing charges of sex with teen
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Elizabeth C. Livesay, 26, faces 11 counts of sexual conduct with a minor. She is a teacher at Carson Jr. high school.
A Mesa junior high school teacher is facing charges she had sex with a 16-year-old girl on numerous occasions outside of school grounds, according to Gilbert police.
Gilbert resident Elizabeth C. Livesay, 26, was arrested on 11 charges of sexual conduct with a minor following her arrest at Carson Junior High School, near University and Country Club drives on Monday, according to Gilbert police spokesman Lt. Eric Shuhandler.
The 16-year-old is not her student and police believe that the girl has not been Livesay's student in the past.
The crime was reported to police in late October by a counselor, Shuhandler said. Police do not know if the counselor worked with Livesay or the girl.
Shuhandler could not release where the numerous sexual acts took place or the exact nature of the conduct, but said the incidents did not happen on school grounds.
Livesay taught special education classes at the school, according to Kathy Bareiss, spokeswoman for the Mesa Unified School District. While the investigation continues, Bareiss said Livesay would be put on a paid leave of absence.
"If it is found to be that the allegations are correct, an employee would be terminated at the conclusion of (the court) process," she said.
Livesay was hired in August 2007 after a background check found "nothing unusual," Bareiss said.
"We know that teachers and other school employees must be held to a higher standard," Bareiss said.
Before teaching at Carson Junior High School, Livesay worked at Desert Sands Middle School in Phoenix, according to Arizona Department of Education spokeswoman Amy Rezzonico.
Livesay spent two years as a special education teacher at the Cartwright district middle school between August 2005 and June 2007, according to district spokeswoman Meri Simmons.
Bareiss said Carson Junior High would complete a separate internal investigation of Livesay in light of recent accusations.
"We will look at the facts ourselves as well and check to see if any disciplinary action is warranted," she said.
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