An award-winning California elementary school teacher was arrested this week for allegedly sexually abusing a former student, police said.
Jacqueline Ma, a 34-year-old sixth-grade teacher at Lincoln Acres Elementary School in National City, was charged with three counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a child under the age of 14 and three counts of oral copulation with a child under the age of 14, according to the NBC 7 surviving records of the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department.
The National City Police said they were contacted by a concerned mother of a 13-year-old former student of Ma’s who suspected her child “may have an inappropriate relationship” with the teacher.
On Tuesday, she was arrested around 8 a.m. on the school campus, but not near any students, District Superintendent Leigangela Brady told NBC 7 in a statement.
The mother of a 13-year-old former student reported Ma to the National City Police Department on Facebook
Brady said the district was only aware of one victim who was no longer a student in the district.
“We know our entire school community is just as stunned by this news as we are. The district will be cooperating with law enforcement and is unable to comment further on the ongoing investigation. We will continue to do everything we can to put the safety, needs and education of our students first,” Brady said in a statement.
The county is working to find a replacement for Ma, Brady said.
Ma was sent to Las Colinas Women’s Prison, police officers said.
School officials said they only knew of one victim who was no longer a student at the school.
It is unclear when the abuse took place. Police have not released any further information due to the victim’s age and the ongoing investigation.
Ma was one of five teachers recognized as Cox Communication’s 2022-2023 San Diego County Teacher of the Year.
In a profile about winning her award, Ma said she “considers the relationships she has with her students as her greatest achievements,” according to NBC7.
Many Lincoln Acres parents told NBC 7 that they thought Ma made a great connection with their students, but some noticed some red flags.
Lincoln Acres Elementary School in National City, California. Google Maps
Aileen Carillo told the news outlet that her young brother was Ma’s former student and she was “over the top” in her communications with him.
“She went to my brother’s games in Tijuana every weekend. She went to one of his birthday parties, everything,” Carillo said. “Honestly, I used to say to my mom, ‘Why does she always text my brother?’ And she was in touch too, but the way she always checked in with my brother I thought was nice at first, like she really cared, but I’ve had a lot of influential teachers that didn’t have to be close.”
Ma is expected in court on March 14.