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from www.timesheraldonline.com – A former Rodriguez High School teacher accused of having sex with a student told police that she was manipulated into a months-long relationship so he wouldn’t expose racy text messages that she sent him, a Vallejo police detectifve testified Tuesday.
The teacher told police she submitted to the “blackmail” by the 16-year-old alleged victim so she wouldn’t lose her job, the detective said at her preliminary hearing.

But Superior Court Judge John Allen ruled Tuesday that the Vallejo woman should stand trial on felony rape charges.

Felicia Killings, 28, faces six felony counts of having unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor. The sexual relationship allegedly occurred over seven months while Killings was teaching English at the Fairfield public school.

Her attorney, Thomas Maas of Fairfield, moved to reduce the charges to misdemeanors, but Allen rejected Maas’ plea, agreeing with Deputy District Attorney Andrew Ganz that Killings was in an “inherent position of power” when she committed the alleged crimes.

The teen’s alleged sexual relationship began when he was 16 in March 2010 and lasted until he was 17 in October.

Killings was arrested at the school on Nov. 9, 2010, after school officials learned of the inappropriate relationship. She was placed on administrative leave and has since quit.

Confronted by police, Killings made a full confession, Vallejo detective Matthew Meredith testified. But she also told police she began sleeping with the student at her Vallejo apartment only because he had threatened to tell school authorities they’d been flirting with each other.

She further told police the student demanded money, sexy photos of her as well as A’s in her class when he should have gotten F’s for not doing any work.

Killings said the student, “a star basketball player,” according to her attorney, told her he’d “ruin her career” by going public with flirtatious text messages she’d sent him if she didn’t do what he wanted.

Killings also told police the student demanded money — about $450 in checks — in exchange for his silence.

When police interviewed the teen last November, however, he denied the teacher’s extortion allegations. Instead, he said their relationship had been consensual, and that she’d given him $100 in cash as a gift, Meredith said. The detective added that the teen admitted that he had received A’s in Killings’ class when he should have gotten F’s for poor work.

The alleged victim was not at the hearing.

In arguing for a lighter charge against his client, Maas told Judge Allen that the student athlete was much larger than Killings, although he added that there was no indication that the teen physically threatened Killings to get her to sleep with him.

Prosecutor Ganz countered that the teacher, although smaller in stature, was in a position of power when she committed the crimes. He said the student is not suspected of doing anything wrong.

Ganz also said in court he does not intend to seek a state prison sentence for Killings. The crimes could carry more than six years in prison.

Killings, who has posted bail, did not testify during the hearing. She declined comment afterward through Maas.

Killings is due back in court Sept. 26.