Omaha teacher accused of sexually abusing student held on $25,000 bond

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – An Omaha teacher accused of sexually abusing a teenager appeared in court Tuesday.

Erin Ward, 45, was charged with one count of felony sexual abuse by a school employee.

A Douglas County judge set Ward’s bond at $25,000.  She must pay $2,500 to be released from jail.

She was ordered to have no contact with the victim “or any other minor child,” according to court records.

The arrest affidavit is sealed.

On Saturday, Douglas County deputies responded to a suspicious vehicle at a dead end near North 189th Street.

When deputies arrived, they saw Ward and a 17-year-old boy in the back seat of an SUV.

The teen jumped into the driver’s seat and drove off, later crashing into a yard about two blocks away, the sheriff’s office said.

He then ran away, but authorities found him about an hour later wearing a T-shirt, boxers and socks.

Ward was in the back seat of the SUV putting her clothes on, according to the sheriff’s office.

Investigators learned that Ward was a substitute teacher at Omaha Burke High School and other metro-area schools.

The sheriff’s office said Ward and the teen — who is a student at Burke — had sexual intercourse.

Her next court hearing is scheduled for May 22.