Teacher charged with sexually abusing former student

WHEELING, W.V. — Police said a teacher sexually abused one of her former students.

Prosecutors said it all started at a middle school in Wheeling, which is about a 1 1/2-hour drive from Pittsburgh.

According to state police in West Virginia, Elizabeth Harbert was an Ohio County school employee from 2004 to 2018.

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She met her alleged victim when he was 14 years old. Harbert was 30 years old at the time.

Police said that, at one point, Harbert was his legal guardian.

Investigators say the victim "first met the suspect while he was a student and she was a teacher and track coach at Bridge Street Middle School."

The alleged victim, who's now in his 20s, is suing the school district.

In the lawsuit, he claims Harbert "told him to think of her as 70 percent mom and 30 percent girlfriend."

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The former student said everyone knew of their relationship, including, "the principal, teachers, parents and even other peers."

The two had a secret child together. The victim told police Harbert told him "she was worried she would get in trouble if they told anyone she was pregnant with his child because he was a minor."

According to the criminal complaint, the first child was born when the victim was 16 years old.

The alleged victim and Harbert went on to have three more children.

Cox Media Group