Dionne Younce: Teacher Fired For Allegedly Sending Nude Snapchats To Students
Florida teacher Dionne Younce was previously suspended from Nease High School in Ponte Vedra after students accused her of sending inappropriate photos to them via her Snapchat account. Following an investigation into the claims, Dionne Younce has been officially fired by the school board.
According to the Huffington Post, school officials confirmed the 28-year-old teacher’s termination at a meeting that took place on Tuesday, reporting that she had been involved in inappropriate behavior with “multiple students.” Some students claimed Dionne Younce was even sending nude photos through her Snapchat and receiving photos back.
Action News Jax reported that one student said he and Ms. Younce were “sending nude photos to each other and did that for a while.”
Another student claimed he “noticed a fellow football player got the same Snap which was Ms. Younce in a bra only.”
Student Ryan Baker revealed, “She was Snapchatting students like inappropriate pictures, people I know personally.”
But it wasn’t just the students who were aware of Dionne Younce’s misconduct. Two assistant principals were also named as witnesses to the nude Snapchat photo exchange.
School authorities also confirmed “inappropriate conversations going on between a teacher and a student.” She had allegedly called several students on the phone while she was drunk.
A spokesman told the Huffington Post that Dionne Younce’s case was handed over from the school to the Special Victims Unit of the Sheriff’s Office, which typically handles sexual crimes or crimes dealing with very young victims. This department was made to determine if Younce was guilty of any criminal wrongdoing, particularly with underage students. However, neither the ages nor the genders of the students she traded nude photos with have been identified.
Dionne Younce was suspended with pay until the investigation reached a conclusion. She was informed to stay away from school property and abstain from discussing the case with anyone.
While there were rumors that the teacher had been arrested, the Sheriff’s Office confirmed that she has still not been brought into custody. But the school board seemingly decided to play it safe and fire Younce before any charges were filed. She had only recently been hired to Nease High School and was still in her first-year probationary period.
The investigation is still ongoing. A spokesman for the Sheriff’s Office reported that they have “talked to numerous people” regarding the nude Snapchat allegations.
Before she was terminated, Dionne Younce was a physical education teacher and the coach of the girl’s weightlifting team, according to the St. Augustine Record. Parents had not initially been informed by the school about the allegations, but word spread fast from the student body.
According to the New York Daily News, one student claimed that his relationship with Dionne Younce started out as subtle flirting. Inappropriate as that already was, these alleged flirtations quickly escalated to what the student called “sexual snapping,” which involved sending nude photos back and forth. Younce had also reportedly followed the students on various social media platforms such as Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram.
If evidence suggests Dionne Younce did send nude Snapchat pictures to underage students, she could face two second-degree felony charges for a “lewd or lascivious act upon a child.”
If the court is as strict to Dionne Younce as it was to Jennifer Caswell, she could be headed for a massive prison sentence. As previously reported by the Inquisitr, former middle school teacher Jennifer Caswell was found guilty of having sex with an underage student and was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Do you think Dionne Younce sent nude Snapchat photos to students? If so, how do you think she should be sentenced?
(Photo via Pinterest)
