An Ohio high school teacher is accused of attempting to hire a student to murder her soon-to-be ex-husband, according to a criminal complaint. But the student’s mother reportedly foiled the murder-for-hire scheme.
Stephanie Demetrius, 44, was arrested April 1. She was charged with first-degree felony conspiracy to commit murder. Ohio state law notes that if convicted, Demetrius faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.
The estranged husband also alleged that Demetrius used a pair of scissors to ‘stab’ him while one of their children was home.
Demetrius has a valid substitute teacher’s license for pre-K through 12th-grade students, according to the Ohio State Board of Education.
While working at the Academy for Urban Scholars High School in Columbus, Demetrius on March 26 “solicited the student to kill her husband for $2,000,” according to an affidavit.
Demetrius gave the student a $250 down payment, according to court documents People magazine obtained.
Law enforcement reportedly collected digital evidence, including a recorded phone call between the student and Demetrius. During the call, Demetrius allegedly assured the student that the remaining payment was on the way.
According to court documents WSYX-TV obtained, Demetrius also told the student when her estranged husband worked from home and when their children would be out of the house.
The student allegedly asked the teacher if the neighbors would hear gunfire, and Demetrius reportedly replied that she doesn’t care about the neighbors.
“This particular teacher was attempting to groom this young person into committing murder,” stated Sgt. James Fuqua with the Columbus Division of Police.
Fuqua credited the student’s mother for first alerting officials about the alleged murder-for-hire plot after she discovered details on the juvenile’s phone.
“Without their help, some of this may not have come completely to light, and this was a situation where the parent was able to capture specific things inside of this young person’s phone to alert authorities,” Fuqua noted.
‘She has physically assaulted two of the children and defendant father.’
Franklin County Domestic Relations Court records show that Demetrius filed for divorce from her husband in April 2024. Records show that she previously filed for divorce in September 2017, but that filing was later closed.
Prosecutor Parker Schwartz stated that Demetrius exhibited “possessive and controlling behavior,” citing previous threats made against her husband.
The Columbus Dispatch reported that the teacher’s husband filed for emergency custody of the couple’s children in July 2024. In the filing, the husband accused his estranged wife of violating a restraining order, breaking into his home, and taking a laptop and money.
The estranged husband also alleged that Demetrius used a pair of scissors to “stab” him while one of their children was home.
He also said Demetrius set fire to the home’s basement, stole parts needed to fix the home’s furnace while temperatures were below freezing, smashed garage doors, damaged property while their children were present, and took the home’s Wi-Fi device to prevent internet access.
“She has physically assaulted two of the children and [the] defendant father,” the filing alleged, adding that the “minor children are in danger of harm” since their mother “continues to return to the marital residence and break windows and doors to force herself in.”
Court records show Demetrius and her husband married in 2004.
Demetrius’ public defender denied the charges and said the accusations are being “fabricated.”
The student — an unnamed juvenile — is not accused of criminal activity.
A spokesperson for the Academy for Urban Scholars High School told NBC News that Demetrius no longer is employed at the school.
“As soon as we became aware of the situation, immediate action was taken to terminate her employment,” the school’s spokesperson said in a statement. “We are cooperating fully with the appropriate authorities and remain focused on the mission and values that guide our work each day.”
Demetrius was released on a $150,000 cash surety bond. She is barred from having any contact with her husband and the minor involved in the case.
A preliminary hearing in the case is set for April 11.
You can watch a local newscast about the case here.
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