Former Washington teacher Mackenzie Naught is now facing a much lighter sentence after pleading guilty in a case involving a 16-year-old student. Prosecutors say she originally faced up to 5 years in prison after being charged with sexual misconduct involving the teenager.
Instead, the plea deal means she could face a maximum of 12 months in county jail.
And just like that, social media’s favorite phrase returned to action: “Wait, that’s it?”
Whitman County senior deputy prosecutor Tessa Scholl defended the deal, saying the teacher’s admission “represents an important step in holding her accountable for her actions and spares [the victim] the burden of having to testify at trial.”
She was exposed when her husband, an assistant track coach at the high school where the teen studied, reported her to police after she admitted her behavior with the boy.
She initially told cops she didn’t have sex with the boy – despite her confession to her husband, the Spokesman Journal reported.
But he showed screenshots from his wife’s cell phone, which proved otherwise.
The boy then told cops the teacher started it by “being flirty” — and secretly messaging him while her husband slept, begging him to meet her.
The boy said he was initially hesitant, but eventually agreed — and she asked him to drive to a “little spot” before getting “handsy,” kissing and romping in his truck.
The boy told cops the educator told him to keep quiet amid fears she could lose her job if exposed.
The plea agreement has left many people scratching their heads and reaching for calculators.
5 years suddenly becoming 12 months is the legal equivalent of showing up to buy a car and somehow leaving with a bicycle and change in your pocket.
The courts will ultimately decide the final sentence.
The court of public opinion, however, appears to have already reached its verdict.
