A Massachusetts teacher’s aide was placed on paid administrative leave after someone anonymously sent racy photos of her to the school superintendent.
Kaitlin “Kaity” Pearson posted dozens of partially nude photos of herself on her public Facebook page and in modeling publications, including ModelsMania – which named her model of the year.
"To think that one year ago I was a girl picked up by a small modeling group (thing) branched out and spread my wings and was given the highest honor a model could ask for," Pearson posted on Facebook. "Many thanks again and I am wear this name proudly."
The 23-year-old Pearson can be seen in the photos, some of which are described in modeling as “elegant implied nudes,” covering her nipples and genitals with her hands or legs and posing alongside other nude women.
In others, she’s wearing T-shirts, bikinis or lingerie.
Superintendent Andre Ravenelle said he learned of the photos Friday when an anonymous package was delivered to his office at Fitchburg Schools.
The Sentinel & Enterprise newspaper was sent the same package.
Ravenelle issued a statement Wednesday about Pearson’s administrative leave, which he pointed out does not constitute a finding of wrongdoing.
“(The package) contained modeling screenshots of an individual who is employed as a paraprofessional at South Street Elementary School, and it also contained comments about that individual's employment here,” Ravenelle said in the statement.
He said that Pearson, who works in the special education department, was placed on leave as standard operating procedure in personnel investigations.
“The paraprofessional was immediately placed on a paid leave of absence to assure student safety during the investigation and to mitigate potential disruption,” the superintendent said in the statement.
Ravenelle said the school checks only a prospective employee’s criminal history, so the modeling shots would not turn up in a pre-hiring screening.
"The school department's hiring procedure solely requires (Criminal Offender Record Information) checks on the background of potential employees," he said. "CORI checks only screen for criminal activity. The information provided to the school department and (Fitchburg) Sentinel is not of a criminal nature. This situation poses no threat to the student body and is at this time solely a personnel issue.”
Pearson says on her Facebook page that she’s a graduate of Fitchburg High School and studied at Becker College in Worcester, where she now lives.
She identifies herself as a “studio girl” at Light Works Studio in Worcester, which is about 20 miles south of Fitchburg.
The superintendent said he would not comment again on the matter until the investigation was completed, and Pearson also declined comment.
Parents of students at the school were divided on whether her after-school modeling gig should be an issue, but Pearson's father doesn't mind.
“That’s her private life. She’s 23,” Chuck Pearson said. “She’s a grown-up woman.”
Watch this video report posted online by WBZ-TV:
Leave a Comment
Related Post