Former HS counselor arrested for allegedly 'abusing her position' to gain 'inappropriate relationships' with students



A former high school counselor in North Carolina is facing serious charges after she allegedly sent sexual content to multiple teens, police said.

The Orange County Sheriff's Office said in a statement that 37-year-old Lesli Bryant turned herself in to authorities at the magistrate's office on July 2, one day after she was charged with two counts of indecent liberties with students and one count of sexual exploitation of a minor.

'It is a felony under NC law for a school employee to engage in sexual activities with a student.'

North Carolina law states that indecent liberties with students is a felony charge:

If a defendant, who is a teacher, school administrator, student teacher, school safety officer, or coach, at any age, or who is other school personnel and is at least four years older than the victim, takes indecent liberties with a victim who is a student, at any time during or after the time the defendant and victim were present together in the same school but before the victim ceases to be a student, the defendant is guilty of a Class G felony, unless the conduct is covered under some other provision of law providing for greater punishment.

A Class G felony is punishable by 10 to 31 months in prison.

Bryant posted a $50,000 secured bond.

WRAL-TV reported that a judge ordered her to have no contact with two alleged victims and to be restricted from entering Orange County Schools property.

The sheriff's office noted that Bryant resigned from her counselor job at Orange High School on June 12.

A school system spokesperson told the Raleigh News & Observer that Bryant resigned after the district suspended her with pay.

Bryant is not listed in the staff directory for Orange High School or on the website for Orange County Schools.

Police said, "After school administrators notified a school resource officer of allegations of misconduct by Bryant with multiple students, deputies opened an investigation."

The Raleigh News & Observer obtained the police report that said a teacher notified school administrators about "a possible student-teacher relationship" after a student informed them that Bryant was sending nude photos to another student.

The assistant principal of Orange High School alerted a school resource officer of the allegations on June 4, according to police.

WRAL obtained the arrest warrant stating that Bryant was using the Snapchat app to send nude photos and videos with sexual content.

Bryant, of Hillsborough, asked three teens to send her nude photos of themselves, court documents stated.

The Raleigh News & Observer reported that Bryant at least once allegedly convinced a minor student to send her a nude photo of himself.

A sheriff's deputy wrote in a supplemental report obtained by the Raleigh News & Observer, "During the process of examining the Snapchat search warrants, it was observed that Lesli had distributed illicit material to at least three different males outside of the victims discussed in this case."

The officer added, "It should be noted that of these males in question, they appeared to be younger adult males."

"The situation created by these events brought to light that Lesli was abusing her position within the school to create inappropriate relationships with both current and former students," according to the supplemental report.

Prosecutors said the alleged incidents began in November 2025 and were as recent as April 2026, and the involved teens were ages 17 and 18 at the time.

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The North Carolina School Boards Association previously released a guide titled: "Boundary Invasions and Sexual Grooming: What Every School Employee Must Know About Avoiding Inappropriate Staff-Student Relationships."

"It is a felony under N.C. law for a school employee to engage in sexual activities with a student," the guide warns. "Consent is not a defense."

"Sexual misconduct/sexual harassment is a violation of the Code of Ethics and the Standards of Professional Conduct for North Carolina Educators," the guide reads.

The guide also points out that federal law forbids school systems from assisting any school employee who is convicted of sexual misconduct with a minor in finding another job.

The New York Post reported that Bryant is married with two children.

Police said the investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Orange County Sheriff’s Office investigator C. Tapp at 919-245-2964.

Bryant is scheduled to appear in court on July 20.

Neither the Orange County Sheriff's Office nor Orange County Schools immediately responded to Blaze News' requests for comment.

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Inmates overpower guards and take 2 hostage at NC jail — until officers storm the facility



Law enforcement officials ended a hostage situation at a jail in North Carolina hours after the inmates were able to overpower guards.

The inmate takeover began at about 5 a.m. at the Bertie-Martin Regional Detention Center in Windsor.

'The perpetrators must be held accountable for this horrifying action.'

Three guards were accosted and two were taken hostage, while the third was able to escape, according to police.

Hours later, the Federal Bureau of Investigation office in Charlotte announced that an FBI hostage team and a SWAT team helped clear the facility.

"All inmates and staff are safe and accounted for, and those who sustained injuries received treatment," the FBI statement reads. "Inmates were transferred to other facilities for housing, and the detention center will remain secured while personnel assess the extent of the damage."

There were 88 inmates at the detention center, which has about 90 beds. The facility houses pretrial detainees and short-term inmates for Bertie County and Martin County.

Bertie County Sheriff Tyrone Ruffin said the two released guards were being treated for injuries, but he did not elaborate on the nature of the injuries.

Ruffin did not answer questions about the cause of the takeover.

"Right now we have a lot going on that we're trying to get under control," he added. "I will release that information to the public as soon as I can."

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"The perpetrators must be held accountable for this horrifying action," Gov. Josh Stein (D-N.C.) said on social media.

"We also must do everything in our power to ensure this doesn't happen again — and that includes doing more to recruit, retain, and compensate the county and state officials who are charged with keeping our jails and prisons safe," he added.

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Muslim, pro-Palestine HS valedictorian blasts ICE in graduation speech — which school official cuts short: 'I feel oppressed'



A Muslim, pro-Palestine valedictorian from a North Carolina high school blasted U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement during her commencement speech last week, which a school official is seen on video cutting short.

During the graduation ceremony for Clayton High School last Thursday, Leen Hijaz delivered the welcome speech, WRAL-TV said, adding in its video report that Hijaz is the valedictorian of the graduating class.

As Hijaz reached the closing remarks of her speech, she began commenting about ICE and Palestine, the station said. The following is the transcript of Hijaz's final words based on a video recording:

Before I leave the stage, I have one last thing to say. Every single person here has a voice, and we are privileged to have the freedom to use it when so many people around the world are struggling and suffering to be heard. Whether it's the millions suffering in Palestine, Sudan, Congo, Afghanistan, and so many other countries around the world, or the families being torn apart by ICE, these are not distant issues; they are happening right now as I speak. My point is, we're not given a voice to stay silent.

Then what appeared to be a school official approached Hijaz at the podium and cut off her speech, after which Hijaz turned and sat down in her seat onstage.

Nevertheless, the crowd gave Hijaz a big round of applause.

Below is the clip of her off-script words:

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The moment was captured on video as Clayton High School live streamed the commencement ceremony on the school's YouTube page, WRAL reported.

What's more, Hijaz on her TikTok account the day after the graduation ceremony said her diploma was being withheld due to her words in her speech, the station said.

"What I focused on throughout my entire life was my education, and for something so important to me, something that I worked hard for 12 years of my life to get taken from me, I feel oppressed," Hijaz said, according to WRAL.

Hijaz in her TikTok video also identified herself as a Muslim and added that she was the graduating class' valedictorian even though she was technically a junior, noting that she graduated early.

Hijaz added that for six months she did "a lot of fighting to get on that stage" before the school "gave in and they said that I could do the welcome speech."

"The only reason why I wanted to go on that stage is because I wanted to say something,” Hijaz said in her TikTok video. “And I really think that somebody had to say something because nobody else is going to speak up. Nobody."

Hijaz added in her TikTok video that when the high school principal approached her at the podium, the principal said that "if you don't stop speaking right now, you're not graduating."

What's more, Hijaz said in her TikTok video that her diploma was going to be "withheld for a week."

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The News & Observer said the school's principal didn't respond to an email requesting comment on the incident.

In a statement provided to WRAL, Johnston County Public Schools said students were required to submit their remarks well in advance of graduation and that a student deviated from what administrators preapproved.

"School administrators intervened in order to maintain the integrity and focus of the program in real time," the district said, according to the station. "This action was not about limiting a student’s voice but about ensuring that a school-sponsored event remained consistent with its intended purpose."

In her TikTok video, Hijaz said she didn't submit the end of her speech as part of her official speech because she said the school would've denied it "immediately because of how racist they are."

"I was extremely scared to say something and really wasn't planning on doing it, but I had so much support from my friends and family around me, and they really encouraged me to say something," Hijaz said in her TikTok video, adding that "I didn't get the chance to say everything I wanted to say, but I said enough that the word went out."

Hijaz added in her TikTok clip that her principal was yelling her name and making her feel "uncomfortable" — and that later the principal said that she was "so disappointed" in Hijaz and that the valedictorian "made this all about" herself and "abused" the "privilege to speak."

The school district told WRAL that while it respects students' right to express their views and encourages important conversations concerning their views, they also have "a responsibility to ensure that official school events remain inclusive, respectful, and focused on celebrating all graduates."

"We remain committed to supporting student expression while upholding the structure and expectations of school-sponsored activities," the district said, according to WRAL.

WRAL added that the school district has given Hijaz's diploma to her.

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Black suspect commits possible race hoax — then allegedly grabs a gun



A black teen in North Carolina has allegedly terrorized his community in more ways than one in just the past couple of weeks.

On May 2, Taquon Jameek Vereen, 18, was arrested after police in Fayetteville received reports of a suspect spray-painting a swastika on a building. A social media video also suggested a suspect was spray-painting swastikas on other properties as well, police said.

The Observer made no mention of Vereen's race.

Officers identified Vereen as the suspect and took him into custody without incident. He was charged with two counts of damage to real property and one count of second-degree trespassing, police said.

Court documents revealed that Vereen is accused of spray-painting swastikas on public property — "two stop signs and one traffic light control box" — as well as on the side of a convenience store from which Vereen had been banned back in April.

The Fayetteville Police Department statement described Vereen as a "black male, 18 years of age."

In its report about the incident, the Fayetteville Observer specifically noted that swastikas are "widely recognized as symbols of hate" that are "commonly associated with Nazi ideology and white supremacist groups." However, the Observer made no mention of Vereen's race.

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Photo of swastika graffiti in Brooklyn in March 2026 by Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis/Getty Images

Vereen posted bond on May 6 in connection with the swastika case, court records showed. Just six days later though, he was back in custody, this time in connection with an even more serious incident.

On Tuesday, Vereen was arrested after he was "walking down the roadway pointing a handgun at bystanders and passing vehicles," police claimed, citing witness statements.

When cops arrived at the intersection in question, located about a half-mile from the swastika-tagged convenience store, they spotted the suspect, who immediately attempted to flee on foot. He was quickly apprehended and identified as Vereen.

A handgun was recovered at the scene, police said.

Vereen was charged with going armed to the terror of people and assault by pointing a gun. As of Thursday morning, he is not listed among the inmates at the Cumberland County Detention Center website, but a representative at the jail confirmed to Blaze News that Vereen remains in custody and has a hearing scheduled for Thursday afternoon.

A public defender for Vereen did not respond to a request for comment.

H/T: Stephen Horn

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Ex-HS counselor reportedly was 'crying throughout the hearing' after she was hit with felony sex charges involving student



A now-former high school counselor in North Carolina has been arrested for allegedly having sex with a student at the school, according to police.

Asheboro Police Department officers on Friday arrested 39-year-old Amber Elizabeth Walker, according to the arrest warrant WFMY-TV obtained.

'Asheboro City Schools is aware that a former employee of the district has been taken into custody in connection with alleged inappropriate activity.'

Walker was charged with two felony counts of sex act with a student, the arrest warrant said. Walker faces up to 94 months in prison if convicted on both charges, WFMY reported. During Monday's hearing, prosecutors petitioned the court to hold Walker without bond.

Walker's attorney argued that his client isn't a flight risk because she resides in Guilford County, where her 2-year-old son and her parents live, WXLV-TV reported. Her attorney also noted that Walker poses no risk of reoffending, as the school district no longer employs her.

However, the judge said the charges against Walker are considered violent offenses under Iryna’s Law, which means a defendant cannot be released on an unsecured bond or written promise, WXLV reported. Iryna's Law was enacted in October 2025 in response to the brutal killing of 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska on a Charlotte commuter train.

According to the Duke Chronicle, the main provisions of Iryna's Law are to "enforce stricter pretrial release conditions, mandate mental health evaluations for some defendants, and expedite the process for implementing capital punishment."

Walker's secured bond was set at $50,000, and the judge ordered her to have no contact with the victim.

Walker was "crying throughout the hearing," according to WFMY.

Walker was a counselor and girls' basketball coach at Asheboro High School, according to WFMY.

Multiple posts on the official Asheboro High School Facebook account from 2019 and 2021 identify Walker as "Coach Walker" while congratulating the girls' basketball team.

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Police said they received a tip on Friday accusing Walker of engaging in sexual activity two days before with an underage student at the school, WFMY reported. Police said detectives "quickly developed evidence confirming the allegation" and took Walker into custody within hours of receiving the potentially damning accusations.

WXII-TV reported that the school district hired Walker on Feb. 26, 2018, and Asheboro City Schools fired her Friday. The school district said in a statement that it will "continue to cooperate with appropriate authorities as necessary."

"Asheboro City Schools is aware that a former employee of the district has been taken into custody in connection with alleged inappropriate activity," the school district said in a statement WFMY obtained.

The New York Post reported that just two months ago, Asheboro City Schools urged college-aspiring students to contact Walker for scholarship opportunities.

Walker is scheduled to appear in court on May 26. The Asheboro Police Department and the Randolph County Sheriff's Office did not immediately respond to Blaze News' request for comment.

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