Jefferson Parish prosecutors have formally charged a former East Jefferson High School teacher accused of carrying on a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old student, escalating a case that first landed on law enforcement’s radar after a hospital worker sounded the alarm.
According to NOLA, the Jefferson Parish District Attorney’s Office has charged 27-year-old Blake Hazeltine with felony carnal knowledge of a juvenile and indecent behavior with a juvenile. Court filings cited by prosecutors say investigators found evidence the relationship involved sexual contact “multiple times” and identify the teen as 15 years old.
How Investigators Say the Relationship Came to Light
Authorities say the relationship began around August 2024 and only surfaced in September 2025, when a nurse at a Metairie-area hospital reported seeing Hazeltine holding the girl’s hand and kissing her, according to court summaries described in local coverage. Deputies then reviewed social-media messages and other records that suggested the pair had sexual contact, WDSU reported. Hazeltine was arrested in early December 2025 and booked on felony counts, according to FOX8.
Arrest, Bond and School Ties
Prosecutors say Hazeltine was arrested and booked on counts that included molestation of a juvenile, then released on an $80,000 bond in January, according to reporting cited in court records. Local coverage also notes that the school’s Facebook page named him “teacher of the month” in December 2024, a detail that has taken on a very different tone as the case has unfolded. NOLA reported both the bond amount and the social-media recognition.
District and Agency Responses
Jefferson Parish Schools said the district became aware of concerns in September and that the individual is no longer employed by the system, according to a statement shared with local media. The district added that it works closely with law enforcement on student-safety issues, a point highlighted in coverage by WDSU. Officials also said the sheriff’s office notified the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services, according to local reporting from FOX8.
What Louisiana Law Says
Under Louisiana law, felony carnal knowledge covers sexual intercourse between someone 17 or older and someone 13 to 16 years old under certain age-gap rules, while indecent behavior with juveniles criminalizes lewd acts or communications with minors. The statutes and potential penalties are laid out in La. R.S. 14:80 and La. R.S. 14:81. The full text of those laws appears on the Louisiana Legislature website for La. R.S. 14:80 and the Louisiana Legislature website for La. R.S. 14:81.
Prosecutors will now prepare the case for trial in Jefferson Parish, with court dates to be set through the parish court system as filings move ahead. Hazeltine, like all criminal defendants, is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
