Parents get court order to keep Kennewick educator away from son

The parents of a Kennewick middle school student want a court order to prevent a teaching assistant from coming near their 13-year-old son.

His parents claim the woman has too close of a relationship with the teen.

Benton County District Court Judge Terry Tanner signed a temporary anti-harassment protection order Tuesday to keep the educator 250 feet from the teen and his home. A hearing on a permanent order is scheduled for May 30.

The boy’s mother made the request after her son made a comment about the recent guilty plea of former Kennewick teacher Tonie Reiboldt, who worked at a different Kennewick middle school.

Reiboldt admitted last week to sending nude photos and videos of herself to four students and raping one of them.

The mother of the Chinook student was concerned when her son said “no one was going to stop him from being friends” with one of his teachers and that he wanted to be adopted by her.

“Mom then went to an appointment with (the boy’s personal therapist), who agreed there were issues of concern,” according to the parents’ statement filed in court.

The boy’s mother said the boy and the educator call and exchange text messages. The woman has been with the district for five years, working as a library assistant and paraeducator for special needs students.

The boy’s parents claim in their statement for the restraining order that the teen had been to her home to work on a computer and she had been invited to their home.

They claim the boy eats lunch alone with her, she shares details about her family’s finances and medical issues, and she calls him her “special agent.” She also shared her work computer’s login credentials.

The mother met with school officials, sexual assault support center officials and the Kennewick Police Department about the issue.

Kennewick Police Sgt. Ken Lattin said officers determined no crime was committed.

Robyn Chastain, the district’s director of communications and public relations, said the district doesn’t comment on personnel matters or investigations.

In the request for the court order, the parents said school officials decided to allow the woman to return to her job, despite policy violations concerning maintaining a professional relationship with students.