A Savannah high school English teacher, Paulina Walden, has been released on a $15,000 bond under strict monitoring after being accused of having inappropriate contact with an 18-year-old student. The incident allegedly occurred while her four-year-old child was present in the vehicle.
Allegations and Legal Proceedings
Walden, 35, faces charges of criminal improper sexual conduct by an employer or agent in the first degree and child molestation. The charges emerged from an investigation initiated on April 24, 2026, following a report from the Board of Education Police Department to Savannah Police regarding an inappropriate relationship between a teacher and a student.
During a court hearing, Detective Jason Zimmerman from the Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department’s Special Victims Unit testified about the alleged incident, which took place on November 21, 2025, inside a pickup truck. The prosecution argued that Walden’s child witnessed the encounter, leading to the child molestation charge.
Defense and Court Decision
Despite objections from prosecutors and the student’s mother, Chatham County Recorder’s Court Chief Judge Joe Huffman granted Walden’s release. Her defense attorney, Turner, contested the state’s account, claiming the student initiated the contact and that Walden was not a willing participant. Turner highlighted Walden’s lack of prior criminal history and her compliance with the school district’s reassignment.
Judge Huffman imposed several restrictions on Walden’s release, including wearing an electronic ankle monitor, house arrest at an alternate address, and a prohibition on contacting the now-graduated student or anyone under 18. Walden is also barred from seeing her own child until completing a mental health evaluation and parenting class, as per a Division of Family and Children Services case plan.
The case has been moved to superior court for presentation to a grand jury, with the state expressing concerns over Walden’s husband’s lack of cooperation with the DFCS plan, although he supported her release in court.
Original reporting: Tampa Free Press — read the source article.
