A married teacher previously honoured as 'Teacher of the Month' is facing serious allegations of grooming a 17-year-old pupil and engaging in a sexual relationship with him, including encounters in the backseat of her car.
Allegations of Grooming and Manipulation
Art teacher Nicole Hernandez, 30, also known as Nikki Baird, is accused of cultivating an inappropriate relationship with a male student. According to legal documents, she first met the boy at a middle school in Kansas before they were both later at Wichita North High School.
The affidavit states Hernandez deliberately befriended the teenager and 'isolated him from others'. She allegedly began by touching or rubbing his back and shoulders, then progressed to demanding hugs. The teacher is said to have confided in the victim that her 'marriage was struggling' before giving him her personal mobile number.
Investigators claim she 'love bombed' him with messages, including one that read: 'I hope and pray one day I get the chance to be with you.'
Escalation to a Sexual Relationship
The pair reportedly began meeting off school grounds during the pupil's senior year. On one occasion, with parental permission for a trip to an arts centre, Hernandez allegedly asked the nervous teen if he wanted her to kiss him. She instructed him to 'act normal' and keep their interactions secret.
The sexual relationship is alleged to have started in early 2024. In his final week before graduation, the victim claims Hernandez invited him into her office three times and encouraged him to touch her. Then, on graduation night, she reportedly asked if he wanted to have sex in her car.
The court document notes the student 'was nervous and felt pressured'. Hernandez allegedly made manipulative remarks, suggesting they 'won't get in trouble because he graduated'. After the school year ended, they are said to have had sex three or four more times in the back of her Jeep.
Investigation and Court Proceedings
The teenager eventually ended contact after realising the relationship was inappropriate and that he had been manipulated. He showed his family nude photos and handwritten notes allegedly from Hernandez, which were subsequently handed to investigators.
Nicole Hernandez was arrested on May 22 and is now scheduled to appear in court to face the charges on December 19. The case has raised serious questions about safeguarding protocols and the abuse of trust within the education system.
