Female Florida school teacher accused of inappropriate ‘romantic relationship’ with a male student: He comforted her while she was crying

Content warning: This article mentions child sexual abuse. Please take care while reading.

Florida police arrested a 36-year-old school teacher on allegations she had an inappropriate romantic and sexual relationship with a male student, which started in 2023 after he comforted her in her classroom while she was crying. The boy was 18, but the relationship still violates Florida law because she was his authority figure when it started.

According to reports, the Panama City Police Department arrested ​Erika Mattson, the middle school teacher at Kaleidoscope School of Discovery in Panama City, Florida, on April 10, 2025. Authorities charged Mattson with one count of an authority figure engaging in sexual conduct with a student.​

He comforted her while she was crying

According to an arrest affidavit, Mattson and the boy began their relationship in May 2023 when the student, who Mattson had previously taught in middle school, encountered her crying in the classroom. The student, who was then 18 years old and attending a high school in the same building as the middle school, comforted her. 

This interaction led to messaging and flirting between them, culminating in a date and subsequent sexual activity at Mattson’s home. The student reported that these encounters occurred multiple times before his graduation. He provided police with photos, including intimate images, as evidence of their relationship.

According to the arrest affidavit viewed by People, “The victim could not advise exactly how many times the two engaged in sexual activity while he was still enrolled in school but advised it happened numerous times before he graduated.” According to the Panama City News Herald, the relationship continued after he left the school.

Among other evidence, Mattson’s former provided police with shirtless photos of himself as he and Mattson embraced, and other photos of them kissing.

After her arrest, authorities booked Mattson into Bay City Jail and later released her on a $25,000 bond. She is scheduled to appear for arraignment on May 15, 2025, and has chosen to represent herself in the legal proceedings.

​Kaleidoscope School of Discovery (KSOD) is a private, nonsectarian K–12 school in Panama City, Florida. The school specializes in serving students with learning challenges, such as ADHD and dyslexia, offering individualized instruction and support to help them thrive academically.

​As of April 15, 2025, there is no public statement from KSOD regarding Mattson’s arrest. Neither the school nor any official sources have publicly stated if KSOD suspended or terminated Mattson or if she resigned after her arrest.

If you know someone suffering from sexual violence, contact RAINN or the National Sexual Abuse Telephone Hotline at 1-800-656-4673.