A female teacher who allegedly "married" a 14-year-old girl in a pagan ritual faces criminal-sexual conduct charges in Michigan.
Elizabeth Miklosovic, 36, of Grand Rapids faces a possible life sentence for her conduct with a former student at Baseline Middle School in South Haven, Mich., the Muskegon Chronicle reported.
"They also participated in witchcraft together," Detective Sgt. Dianne Oppenheim told the Michigan paper.
The Kent County Prosecutor's office issued warrants Thursday on first- and second-degree criminal sexual conduct charges, alleging Miklosovic, a seventh-grade language-arts teacher, was involved in illegal sex acts with the student at the teacher's Grand Rapids home.
The girl's family initially believed Miklosovic was trying to help the girl, described as emotionally troubled, the Chronicle said.
But the girl's uncle, outraged, says the teacher "brainwashed" her into thinking their actions were OK.
"It's heartbreaking to know [you put] your trust, your faith in a teacher, and this is how it goes," the uncle said. "[The girl] doesn't think a crime's been committed. She's plainly been brainwashed by her teacher."
The girl told police of five sexual encounters from June to October, the Muskegon paper said.
Miklosovic has a "nontraditional family," a neighbor told the paper, living with another woman and their adopted son.
Local residents expressed their anger to the Chronicle.
"If you can't trust your kid's teacher, who can you trust?" asked Monica Thompson, 24. "It appalled me. I heard about it on the news last night. A kid and a grown woman?"
A recent graduate of local South Haven High School, Mallory Spencer, told the Chronicle, "It's getting kind of scary now. I have a lot of friends who teach there. ... I'm kind of numb. You hear about so much these days, nothing surprises me."
The Chronicle said Miklosovic, who has worked for the district three years, was highly regarded by staff and students and had no previous criminal record in Michigan.