Most states prosecute educators (teachers) for improper sexual contact with students under the state’s statutory rape laws—which are premised on the student being under the age of consent recognized by law, even if the student was a willing participant.
But some states have enacted specific statutes making it a crime—often a felony—for an educator to have sexual contact with a student—even if the student has reached the age of consent (17 years of age, for example).
Laws vary from state to state, and laws governing sexual contact between educators and students are generally located in a state’s statutes—often in the penal or criminal code.
In Kansas, it is illegal for educators to engage in sexual relations with students, regardless of the student's age of consent, under the Kansas Statutes Annotated (K.S.A.). Specifically, K.S.A. 21-5512 establishes the crime of 'unlawful sexual relations' which includes consensual sexual intercourse, lewd fondling or touching, or sodomy between a teacher and a student enrolled at the same school. This law applies even if the student is 16 or 17 years old, which is the age of consent in Kansas. Violation of this statute is a severity level 10, person felony, and can result in severe legal consequences, including imprisonment and registration as a sex offender. The law is designed to protect students from potential abuses of power and to maintain the integrity of the educational environment.