The parents of a sophomore at University High School in Irvine found a series of disturbing texts between their daughter and English teacher Michael Jay Granger, according to Irvine Police.
That led to a police investigation that discovered through social media that Granger's relationship with the girl was stated to be sexual, the department claims.
Thirty-two-year-old Granger was booked into Orange County Jail late Monday night for alleged lewd conduct with a child and held on $100,000 bail.
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According to a statement from Lt. Julia Engen, the Irvine Police spokeswoman, Granger has had contact with the girl since the beginning of the school year, in September 2013 when she was 15.
Engen added the Irvine Police Department is working closely with the Irvine Unified School District on the case and asks anyone with information to contact Detective John Sanders at 949.724.7244 or via email at js******@ci**********.org" target="_blank">js******@ci**********.org.
Granger has been put on leave at Uni High, where he has taught since 2004, according to Irvine Unified School District spokesman Ian Hanigan, who adds the instructor has led social science and leadership classes in addition to English.
“This allegation is deeply concerning and one we're taking very seriously,'' Hanigan told City News Service.
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