Teacher of the month accused of having sex with teen pupil in backseat of Jeep

Art teacher Nicole Hernandez, 30, also known as Nikki Baird, allegedly groomed the boy she’d first met in a middle school before both moved to Wichita North High School, according to an affidavit seen by the Wichita Eagle.Mayberry Cultural and Fine Arts Magnet Middle School/Facebook (Image: Facebook)

A married teacher, who was once named teacher of the month, is alleged to have had sexual relations with a 17 year old student multiple times, including in the backseat of her Jeep. Nicole Hernandez, 30, also known as Nikki Baird, is accused of grooming the boy she met at a middle school in Kansas.

They later crossed paths again at Wichita North High School where Hernandez reportedly befriended the teenager and "isolated him from others". It's alleged that she began by "touching or rubbing" the student's back or shoulders before coercing him into hugging her, according to an affidavit.

The affidavit further alleges that the teacher initiated sexual relations with the teen in early 2024. Hernandez is said to have confided in the victim about her "struggling marriage" and subsequently gave him her personal mobile number.

She also bombarded him with affectionate messages, one of which read: "I hope and pray one day I get the chance to be with you."

The pair began meeting outside of school during the teen's final year, even securing parental consent for a trip to an arts centre, the document stated. During this outing, the teen held hands with Hernandez and she reportedly asked him "if he wanted her to kiss him.".

Art teacher Nicole Hernandez, 30, also known as Nikki Baird, allegedly groomed the boy she’d first met in a middle school before both moved to Wichita North High School, according to an affidavit seen by the Wichita Eagle.Wichita North High School Football (Image: Facebook)

"He was nervous and eventually said yes," the report stated.

Hernandez instructed the boy to "act normal" and keep their relationship under wraps. The victim informed investigators that they started spending more time together during the school day and after school, according to the affidavit obtained by the Wichita Eagle.

In his final school week before graduation, the teenager alleged that Hernandez invited him into her office three times and instructed him to touch her, adding she said things "to encourage him to continue touching her".

Art teacher Nicole Hernandez, 30, also known as Nikki Baird, allegedly groomed the boy she’d first met in a middle school before both moved to Wichita North High School, according to an affidavit seen by the Wichita Eagle. (Image: Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office)

Then on graduation night, Hernandez reportedly asked the victim if he wanted to have sex in her car. "The student said he was nervous and felt pressured," the document stated.

While the student agreed to the encounter, Hernandez reportedly made manipulative remarks, such as they "won't get in trouble because he graduated". At the end of the school year, Hernandez allegedly met the teen three or four more times where they had sex in the back of her Jeep.

The teenager eventually cut off contact with his former art teacher after he "understood the relationship he had was inappropriate and that he had been manipulated. The ex-pupil showed his family nude photos and handwritten notes allegedly from her, which were later sent to investigators.

Hernandez was arrested on May 22 and is now scheduled to appear in court on December 19.