A math teacher at Shalom Christian Academy in Chambersburg is accused of having a sexual relationship with a student at the school.
Bonnie Louise Gingrich, 38, is free on an unsecured bail of $50,000 after being charged with felony sexual contact with a student at a school, two felony counts of unlawful contact with a minor, and felony corruption of minors, as reported by Tri State Alert.
Gingrich Allegedly Reached Out to Student Via Electronic Messages, Had Physical Contact with Him
Pennsylvania State Police were initially notified of a child line report on May 30th of a teacher that was having inappropriate contact with a student at Shalom Christian Academy. That teacher, police believe, was Bonnie Gingrich.
Troopers subsequently interviewed the juvenile victim, where they say the victim and Gingrich would "reach out to the victim via electronic messages", with it eventually leading to hugging.
This continued and escalated, Troopers say, into physical contact. Gingrich also allegedly sent messages to the victim "about wanting to meet up with the victim outside of school". This all occurred, according to police reports, between November of 2023 and May 30th of 2024.
During this time period, Troopers say Gingrich encouraged the victim to create secret chat accounts and delete their messages for fear that they would be found out.
Shalom Christian Academy Sends Email to Parents, Confirms Gingrich was Placed on Administrate Leave
In the wake of Gingrich's arrest, Shalom Christian Academy's Angie Petersheim sent an email out to parents. The email is as under:
"Shalom Christian Academy is committed to keeping you informed about issued regarding student safety. The school has been informed by Pennsylvania State Police that Mrs. Bonnie Gingrich, formerly a secondary teacher at Shalom Christian Academy, was charged with criminal offenses regarding the welfare of a student.
Upon initially receiving information involving allegations, the school contacted Child and Youth Services. Mrs. Gingrich was placed on administrative leave. Shalom is cooperating fully with law enforcement and the legal process. We take all measures necessary to ensure that our students are educated in a safe environment- employees must successfully pass clearances and background checks prior to employment at Shalom."
