Elizabeth-Forward special education teacher sent explicit photos, messages to student, police say

An Elizabeth-Forward special education teacher is accused of sexually abusing a teenage student and then demanding that he delete her number and all of their messages after she was placed on leave, according to a criminal complaint.

Nicole Corson, 41, of Pittsburgh’s Lincoln Place neighborhood, is charged with institutional sexual assault, indecent assault, corruption of minors, obstructing administration of law, criminal communications and intimidation, retaliation or obstructing a child abuse case.

Elizabeth Township police began investigating Dec. 10 after Childline calls were made by other high school staffers, a student and the victim’s grandmother, the criminal complaint said.

Superintendent Todd Keruskin wrote in a letter to parents that Corson has been suspended.

“The safety of our students remains our top priority and we will continue to work with the Elizabeth Township Police Department on this matter,” he wrote. “Unfortunately, I am unable to share any additional information at this time.”

The alleged victim, a 16-year-old boy, told police that Corson sent him explicit photos and touched him in an inappropriate sexual manner at least three times, including on a bus after a field trip and in the classroom.

The teen told investigators that Corson called him via FaceTime after she was put on leave and accused him of causing her to be placed on leave and under investigation, the complaint said. He said she told him to delete her contact information and all messages and photos from her.

Police wrote that the high school principal reported that when he allowed Corson to retrieve her belongings from her classroom, he waited outside. He said when he went into the classroom, Corson was doing something with an iPad and stopped when she saw him. It was later learned that it was the victim’s iPad, the complaint said.

Investigators also found that after Corson was put on leave, she spent nearly two hours in the school-based app that facilitates online learning and teacher-student communication, according to the complaint. The complaint said she spent the time deleting all exchanges with the alleged victim, which district IT employees were able to recover.

Police also recovered deleted messages and photos from the child’s phone as well, according to the complaint.

Corson was arraigned Friday afternoon in front of Magisterial District Judge Beth S. Mills. She was taken to Allegheny County Jail, with bail set at $200,000. No defense attorney was listed for Corson as of late Friday afternoon.