Teacher charged with prostitution

CLEVELAND, TX (KTRK) -- We're learning more about what happened when a local high school teacher was arrested on prostitution charges. Investigators say she was caught in a sting at an upscale downtown Houston hotel.

A theater arts teacher at Cleveland High School, education may not have been Laurie Lewis' only line of work. The 38-year-old divorced mother of two recently found herself on the wrong side of the law after Houston police arrested her at an upscale downtown Houston hotel. The charge -- prostitution.

One parents we spoke with stopped short of drawing his own conclusion.

"You have to give everyone a chance to tell their story," said parent Randy Zeringue. "And somebody teaching in Cleveland whose not from Cleveland is not a reflection of what Cleveland's about."

A source close to the investigation tells Eyewitness News Lewis, who went by the name of Victoria, advertised on a web site called BackPage.com.

Police took Lewis into custody after they say she offered to have sex with an undercover HPD vice officer for $300 when the two met up in a room at the Four Seasons hotel.

The prostitution charge could cost Lewis her job. Cleveland ISD Superintendent Kerry Coward said, "We are very disappointed. Ms. Lewis worked for the district for two years in a position of great responsibility. The district will not accept this type of behavior from an educator or an employee."

"She definitely shouldn't be a teacher anymore," said former student Amber Jones.

Lewis posted a $500 bond. She's set to appear in court next week. The school board is set to meet on August 25 to discuss her employment status.

You can read more in the Cleveland Advocate -- one of our partner Houston Community Newspapers.

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