Panama City teacher charged with having sexual relationship with 18-year-old student

PANAMA CITY ― A local teacher was arrested Thursday on charges that she had sexual relations with a student, according to a Panama City police report.

The report alleges that Erika Mattson, 36, of Panama City, a teacher at Kaleidoscope School of Discovery, had a sexual relationship with a student enrolled at the school beginning in May 2023.

The student was 18 at the time, police say. Mattson is charged with an authority figure engaging in sexual conduct with a student, a felony.

The student told officers the relationship started when he saw Mattson crying in her classroom and approached her. He said they then began messaging each other on Facebook and flirting. He said the relationship developed into a sexual relationship while he was still a student at the school, according to the arrest affidavit.

He told police they continued the relationship after he graduated and he provided authorities with photos of himself shirtless being embraced by Mattson and kissing, according to the report.

Even though the student was 18, police said the teacher violated state statute because she was an authority figure at the school the student was enrolled in.

This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Panama City police say teacher had sexual relationship with student