TOLEDO, Iowa (AP) — A Marion kindergarten teacher has been acquitted of not reporting that a 15-year-old classroom volunteer sexually abused her students.
Cedar Rapids television station KCRG reports that a Tama County jury on Thursday found 59-year-old Diane Graham not guilty of failing to report sexual abuse. Graham’s trial was moved out of Linn County after her attorneys cited extensive media coverage of the teen’s and Graham’s cases.
Prosecutors said Graham was teaching at Starry Elementary when two students told her in August 2016 that they were being abused by the volunteer. Prosecutors said Graham didn’t report the abuse, allowing it to continue for two more months.
Graham testified in her own defense Wednesday and insisted she never saw or heard of any abuse.
The teen was earlier convicted of sexual abuse.
