TEACHER ASKED 15 YEAR-OLD FEMALE STUDENT TO ‘GET NAKED’ ON FACEBOOK, SHERIFF SAYS IN FILING

SHERIFF’S CASE AGAINST HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER:

…MORE OF THE STORY

School board mum on status of teacher

A Lawrence County High School teacher was arrested at her home last week (March 3) by the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Dept. and charged with Unlawful transaction with a minor.

Sheriff Chuck Jackson submitted cell phone evidence and a written statement about an interview he conducted with a 15 year-old LCHS student in which she related what he thought was criminal activity by Amber Burton, 34, a Biology teacher at the school, towards the student.

The felony arrest report Jackson gave the media did not contain the background of his investigation but did identify the main charge. WSAZ-TV in Huntington got first wind of the “rest of the story”  and collected it from Circuit Clerk Jodie Webb Parsley’s office.

But the station did not report the rest of the story as Jackson told it. Trial Commissioner Nelson Sparks signed the warrant which was filed in Parsley’s office March 3 but no action by the school board was taken at that time. The entire complaint filed by Jackson is posted below.

The Lazer also obtained the case file which has a lot more than the sheriff first revealed including naked shows for the teacher in a group chat as well as providing the students with THC Vapes on different occasions.

Lawrence School chief Dr. Rob Fletcher has refused to say whether or not Amber Burton has been suspended after the allegations and cell phone evidence.

Here is what Sheriff Jackson said in his warrant application signed by Trial Commissioner Nelson Sparks:

“…On March 2, 2023 at approximately 2:00 pm the mother of the juvenile reported that there was sexually explicit material sent to her 15 year old daughter on her phone from an adult from whom she believed was her teacher.  The number of the cell phone was believed to belong to Amber Burton.  An interview was conducted with the 15 year old juvenile who stated her adult teacher, Amber Burton, had been texting her in group chats stating that she was sexually interested in her. Amber Burton participated in explicit sexual fantasies with the 15 year old minor, located on the juvenile’s phone. The juvenile also stated the same adult provided her with THC vapes and got high with her.  During the interview, the juvenile disclosed Burton had her FaceTime in a group asking her to be naked to which she did. The cell phone number provided by the mother and the juvenile was confirmed by the school board as the contact phone number on file for teacher Amber Burton. A search warrant was conducted on March 2, 2023 at the residence of Amber Burton and the cell phone was seized matching the number given in the interviews and confirmed by the school board.”

 

Amber Burton is charged with unlawful transaction with a minor in the 2nd degree which is a felony offense.  Amber Burton retained Ned Pillarsdorf as counsel on March 7, 2023. She is scheduled to appear in court on May 22, 2023 at 9:00 am.

Information was provided by the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department and Lawrence Co. Circuit Clerk’s office.