Who Is Christina Formella? What to Know About the Teacher Accused by Authorities of Sexually Abusing a 15-Year-Old Student in Illinois

Shockwaves ran through the small community of Downers Grove, Ill., when news broke that one of its teachers had been accused of sexually abusing her student. 

Christina Formella, 30, was arrested on March 16, 2025, and charged with multiple counts of sexual abuse after a mother claimed to have discovered explicit texts between her teenage son and the married special education teacher.

An investigation by the Downers Grove Police Department revealed that the alleged assault took place in 2023 during a tutoring session, DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin and Downers Grove Police Chief Michael DeVries said in a statement. At the time, Formella was 28, and the victim was 15.

“The allegations against Ms. Formella are extremely disturbing,” Berlin said. “It is alleged that she used her position of trust and authority as a tutor and a coach to sexually assault a minor student. The type of abuse and behavior alleged in this case will not be tolerated.”

Here’s everything to know about what Christina Formella is accused of and the disturbing content police allegedly found in her Notes app.

Who is Christina Formella?

Formella is a former Illinois teacher who taught special education at a high school in Downers Grove, a suburb outside Chicago. She started during the 2020-21 school year and also coached boys’ and girls’ soccer.

According to Inside Edition, Formella married her husband in Italy in 2024.

What has Christina Formella been accused of?

Formella has been accused of sexually abusing a student. According to police, Formella was the alleged victim’s soccer coach and tutor.

The alleged assault occurred in December 2023 during a tutoring session before school.

Who is Christina Formella’s alleged victim?

The identity of the alleged victim hasn’t been released, but police said that Formella was his tutor and soccer coach. On March 15, 2025, he reported the alleged assault to a local police station in Downers Grove with his mother after she found text messages from the teacher on his cell phone.

What happened when Christina Formella was arrested?

On March 16, Formella was arrested during a traffic stop and taken into custody. Body cam footage shared by Inside Edition showed her exiting her husband’s car and being handcuffed. While in the back of the police cruiser, she asked the officers if she was in trouble and if her husband was coming with her.

In the video, the special education teacher also told the police that she felt like she was going to “throw up” as she hugged her knees and broke down crying.

Though Formella allegedly told officers that the sexual abuse started “a year and a half ago,” according to court documents, she later denied that she ever had sex with the victim. The soccer coach allegedly called him a “stalker” and claimed that “everybody comes after her because she is good looking, and she is just a good person who cared too much about [the victim].”

What did police allegedly find on Christina Formella’s phone?

Days after her arrest, PEOPLE obtained court documents that included several explicit text messages, including one that allegedly read, “I love you sooooo much baby… Even though this morning was short, it was perfect.”

When confronted about the messages, the teacher claimed that the victim took her phone during class and sent those texts to himself before deleting them on her phone. She said he then saved the texts on his phone as “blackmail.”

Police also allegedly found a “memoir” Formella had written in her Notes app about the victim. In it, she expressed anger that he had “cheated” on her and called him “disgusting.”

“We will never ever be together again,” the teacher allegedly wrote. “I’m not a second choice. I’m the best thing you’ll ever have even with all of my mistakes.”

There was also a section titled “Manifestations,” under which she allegedly wrote that the victim would contact her soon to “try to fix things” between them. She continued, “In the meantime, I’m going to live my best life knowing he’s not the person I thought he was and that he is beneath me.”

When questioned about the content allegedly found on her Notes app, Formella claimed that it was an outlet for her anxiety and that any references to sexual activity were about her husband, per the petition.

What is next in Christina Formella’s case?

In her first court appearance, Formella was charged with two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse and one count of criminal sexual assault against a minor.

The court denied a motion to detain her before her trial and released her under the condition that she could not enter Downers Grove South High School or have contact with anyone under the age of 18. She was also put on administrative leave from the school.

Her next court appearance is scheduled for April 14, 2025.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.