A Little Rock School District high school algebra teacher was placed on paid administrative leave Wednesday after school officials learned she pleaded guilty in November to prostitution and operating a business without a license.
McClellan High School teacher Solona Islam, 27, of 2501 Riverfront Drive, Apartment C104, was issued a ticket on the misdemeanorcharges after agreeing to have sex with an undercover vice squad detective at an undisclosed hotel in west Little Rock on Oct. 29.
Court records show that on Nov. 5, Islam pleaded guilty and received a suspended 90-day sentence and is now paying down a $640 fine.
The citation was discovered as part of an Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Freedom of Information Act request. The school district was unaware of the citation until informed by a reporter.
Little Rock Police Department spokesman Sgt. Cassandra Davis said the department did not tell the school district about the incident because police would only inform the district if a teacher is arrested for a felony.
Islam was issued a citation for first offense prostitution, a Class B misdemeanor punishable by up to 90 days in jail and up to a $500 fine. Arkansas Code 5-70-102 describesprostitution as when a person engages in or agrees or offers to engage in sexual activity in return of a fee or expectation of a fee.
In a phone interview Thursday, Islam said she had fallen on hard times after being fired from a second job at a home improvement store. She said she met someone, whom she did not want to identify, who operated an online escort business and agreed to go on at least one date.
“That was the first time I’ve ever even [worked as an escort],” Islam said. “But I had lost my second job, I was going through a bankruptcy and my checks were being garnisheed. ... It was a moment of desperation.”
According to a police incident report, detective James Johnson Jr. arranged an escort date with Islam for $200.
“Islam arrived and collected the fee,” a report written by officer Brandon Middleton stated. “[She] engaged in sexual contact with Detective Johnson during the date.”
Davis said she couldn’t comment on the specific “sexual contact” because she cannot reveal police tactics.
According to Islam, Johnson asked for a massage before stripping down naked and getting a “head to toe” rubdown.
“I touched his whole body,” Islam said. “I massaged him from head to toe, front to back and up and down.”
At some point during the session, Islam agreed to have sex with Johnson without a condom for an additional $100, according to the report.
Davis said she didn’t know if what Islam said is true and wouldn’t comment on whether that tactic is used during prostitution stings.Police did not respond to a Freedom of Information Act request filed Thursday for a copy of a video documenting the encounter. Multiple calls to officer Michelle Hill, who handles Freedom of Information Act requests for the department, were not returned.
Islam admits she agreed to have sex with the undercover officer, but that it was not what she had planned when she went to the hotel.
“At the end I did say ‘Yeah, I’ll do it,’” Islam said. “I did agree because I wanted extra money, I needed the extra money. But my original intent was not to prostitute.”
Detectives issued her a citation and released her. Only one other woman was issued a ticket during that sting, Davis said.
Islam said officers told her that they were investigating the escort service for operating without a license.
Islam said police and apublic defender advised her that the best thing for her to do was to plead guilty and pay the fine, which she did a week after being issued a citation.
On Tuesday, Little Rock School District spokesman Tiffany Hoffman said she could not comment on specifics because it would violate personnel confidentiality rules.
Hoffman acknowledged Thursday that an investigation was started after the district learned of the conviction.
Hoffman added that the school district investigates the circumstances surrounding a teacher being convicted of a misdemeanor. The district’s employee handbook states that offenses posing “a possible danger or appearance of danger to the School District, employees or to pupils will normally be suspended” until the investigation is complete.
“Pending the outcome of the investigation, we would decide whether or not to recommend termination to the board,” Hoffman said. “Once the board votes on termination that’s when the employee contract is terminated.”
Islam said Principal Marvin Burton told her on Wednesday that she was being placed on administrative leave while the district investigated.
The district’s employee handbook states “immoral conduct” is grounds for a suspension and termination.
According to a Arkansas Code 6-17-414 a teacher may have her license revoked if they are convicted of certain crimes, including criminal solicitation. Arkansas code 5-3-301 defines solicitation as occurring when a person solicits the commission of a crime.
Islam said she would appeal any decision to terminate her teaching contract.
Islam has worked for the school district since December 2006, first at Dunbar Middle School and then at Cloverdale Middle School before moving to McClellan.
“I do love working for the district,” she said. “I don’t see what my job [as a teacher] has to do with a personal decision I made and my personal misjudgment, other than the fact that [school officials] have a prostitute teaching their students.”
Northwest Arkansas, Pages 9 on 02/18/2011