California ‘Teacher Of The Year’ Arrested On Sexual Misconduct Charges Related To A Child Under 14

A California teacher, Jacqueline Ma, has been arrested and faces six counts of felony sexual misconduct involving a child under 14. Ma, who was a sixth-grade teacher at Lincoln Acres Elementary School and one of five recipients of a 2022 ‘Teacher of the Year’ award, was arrested on Tuesday morning at the school by police. She is being held on a $100,000 bail at Las Colinas Detention and Reentry Facility. The charges against her include three counts of lewd and lascivious acts and three counts of oral copulation, all related to a child under 14. The victim’s age and when the abuse occurred are unknown, but the National City School District has confirmed that the child is no longer a student at the school.

The arrest was arranged away from the students, and at present, the child related to the six counts against Ma appears to be the only victim. The school district is aiming to hire a substitute to replace Ma, and while it is unclear if they have already fired her, they have pledged to support the investigation in any way possible. The school district is encouraging anyone with additional information to come forward and contact the police.

Ma had been a classroom teacher in the National City School District since July 2013, and her LinkedIn profile suggests that she had extensive classroom experience. She received her master’s in education from UC San Diego in 2013. Ma was awarded the ‘Teacher of the Year’ award in August 2022 for providing “outstanding” education. In her application for the award, another teacher at Lincoln Acres praised Ma for helping with the adjustment to virtual teaching.

Ma’s arraignment is scheduled for March 9, and she remains in custody.