A Los Angeles judge reportedly sentenced former LAUSD teacher Colleen Jo Matarico to 10 years in state prison on Monday, after prosecutors said she carried on a sexual relationship with a student when he was 13. The case, which first drew public outrage after her arrest in November 2024, gained attention because prosecutors described what they called obsessive text messages and alleged that Matarico supplied the boy with marijuana.
According to the New York Post, Matarico received a 10-year term and pleaded no contest to two counts of lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14, while prosecutors agreed to dismiss six other counts. The Post reported a brief courtroom exchange in which the judge asked whether she understood the sentence, and Matarico said she did.
Case background
Matarico was arrested in November 2024 after staff at John Burroughs Middle School alerted police about what they viewed as troubling behavior, according to prosecutors. As detailed by the Los Angeles Times, prosecutors presented messages in which she allegedly called the boy “her crystal meth” and said she would “go to jail for him.” Authorities say much of the alleged misconduct took place between August and November 2023, while she was his teacher.
Charges and court orders
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office initially filed eight felony counts, including five counts of lewd or lascivious acts on a child under 14 and one count of furnishing a controlled substance to a minor, according to a DA news release. A judge previously set bail at $590,000 and issued a protective order barring Matarico from contacting the victim, as reported by CBS Los Angeles.
School response
John Burroughs Middle School, the Hancock Park campus that serves grades 6 through 8, told investigators it had contacted police after receiving reports from staff, and Los Angeles Unified said it was cooperating with authorities, according to local coverage. ABC7 and other outlets have withheld the student’s identity while reporting on the district’s response.
Legal context
Prosecutors had previously said the original complaint carried a potential maximum of roughly 20 years and four months in state prison if a defendant were convicted on every count, according to local reporting. Plea deals, no contest pleas, and credits for time already served can significantly reduce that exposure, and the final word on any sentence comes from official court filings.
As of publication, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s online news page did not list a separate sentencing announcement confirming the New York Post account. Court records and an official DA statement will be the definitive sources on the final terms and any credits applied to the sentence. This story will be updated if the DA or court filings provide public confirmation.
