High School Teacher Faces 63 Felony Charges After Allegedly Having Sex with 16-Year-Old Student

• Michelle Mercogliano is facing 63 felony charges after being accused of having a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old student
• Authorities also claim that she provided the teen with marijuana
• After learning of the investigation, Mercogliano was immediately placed on leave from the Conestoga High School where she taught

A Pennsylvania high school teacher is accused of sexually abusing a student and for also allegedly providing the minor marijuana.

Michelle Mercogliano is facing 63 felony charges, including multiple counts of unlawful contact with a minor and possession with intent to distribute, according to court records reviewed by PEOPLE.

The Chester County District Attorney’s Office and Tredyffrin Township Police Department allege that Mercogliano, who was a teacher at Conestoga High School at the time, began having a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old student in February. They also claim she provided the teen with marijuana — all of which the police learned about earlier this week before launching an investigation into the allegations.

Although Mercogliano, 35, has not yet been arrested, she is cooperating and arranging a time to turn herself in, per a release the district’s office posted to Facebook on Wednesday, April 30.

“Parents and students should be able to trust their teachers,” District Attorney Christopher L. de Barrena-Sarobe said in a statement. “The Defendant broke the law and destroyed that trust. It will not be tolerated.”

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Citing a criminal complaint, ABC affiliate WPVI reported that the student said he had sex with Mercogliano approximately 12 times and that the majority of the encounters occurred in the home of the teacher’s parents.

The criminal complaint also reportedly alleges that Mercogliano used Snapchat to communicate with the student.

In a statement shared by the Tredyffrin/Easttown School District, Superintendent Richard Gusick said Mercogliano was immediately placed on leave and that she no longer has access to school property.

“Ms. Mercogliano began teaching at Conestoga this past fall,” Gusick said. “She was a teacher at Hillside Elementary School from 2019 to 2024 and a paraprofessional at Hillside Elementary and Valley Forge Elementary Schools from 2014 to 2018. We have no information at this time to indicate that the criminal investigation involves other students.”