Ohio Teacher Pleads Guilty to Sexual Conduct with 15-Year-Old Student

Jamelah Daboubi, a former teacher at Horizon Science Academy, pleaded guilty to gross sexual imposition and unlawful sexual conduct with a minor.

Mar. 22, 2026 at 8:27pm

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A 28-year-old Ohio high school teacher pleaded guilty to having a sexual relationship with her 15-year-old student, whom she reportedly inundated with hundreds of phone calls and thousands of lurid texts. Jamelah Daboubi, a former teacher at Horizon Science Academy in Columbus, pleaded guilty to gross sexual imposition and unlawful sexual conduct with a minor in Franklin County Common Pleas Court.

Why it matters

This case highlights the ongoing issue of educator sexual misconduct, which research shows has become increasingly common in the U.S. over the past two decades, with female teachers preying on male students often making headlines, despite the fact that male educators are responsible for the majority of such cases.

The details

According to court documents, Daboubi was arrested in April 2025 after the 15-year-old boy's aunt called police when she found the pair carrying on in the teacher's car. An investigation revealed that Daboubi and the student had been texting for a couple of months and engaging in sexual activity for a period of time, with hundreds of phone calls and thousands of texts between the two, including messages where they professed their love for each other. Shortly after her arrest, Daboubi was fired from her teaching position.

  • On April 2, 2025, police were called to the home of the 15-year-old boy's aunt on Salado Creek Drive in Columbus.
  • The following day, an interview revealed that the teen and his teacher had been texting for a couple of months and engaging in sexual activity for a period of time.
  • Daboubi was scheduled to be sentenced in Franklin County Common Pleas Court on Friday, but the hearing was continued to an unnamed date.

The players

Jamelah Daboubi

A 28-year-old former teacher at Horizon Science Academy in Columbus, Ohio, who pleaded guilty to gross sexual imposition and unlawful sexual conduct with a minor.

Horizon Science Academy

The high school in Columbus, Ohio, where Daboubi was a teacher.

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What they’re saying

“On April 2, 2025, police were called to the home of a woman on Salado Creek Drive in Columbus, who said she caught her 15-year-old nephew and one of his 10th grade teachers engaged in sexual contact in the teacher's car. The nephew, whom the woman has guardianship over, admitted to police that he and his teacher had been having a relationship that involved kissing and touching.”

— Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on an unnamed date whether to sentence Daboubi to a maximum of 18 months in prison or to the recommended sentence of five years of community control, continued counseling, surrender of her teaching license, and community service.

The takeaway

This case highlights the ongoing issue of educator sexual misconduct, which research shows has become increasingly common in the U.S., with female teachers preying on male students often making headlines, despite the fact that male educators are responsible for the majority of such cases. It underscores the need for stronger measures to prevent and address this problem in schools.