Jefferson Parish/ St. Charles Parish (WGNO) – Rachel Respess, 24, and Shelley Dufresne, 32, the Destrehan High teachers accused of having a threesome with a then 16-year-old student, are back in the limelight.
Monday morning Respess’ attorney arrived at a Gretna courtroom for a routine status hearing. The former teacher was not there. Her attorney Jeffrey Smith explains prosecutors have yet to make a decision on whether or not to charge his client.
“Either one, they’re told there’s no disposition like they did today; two, they could be told, you’re charged, how do you plead?’ You have to plead not guilty in front of a commissioner. or three, it’s dismissed,” says Smith.
As for Shelley Dufrense, the 32-year-old married mother of three, court documents show her attorney is hoping newly appointed judge Anne Simon will ease up on her house arrest restrictions.
A three page motion filed in St. Charles Parish says Dufresne has been following orders, attending mental health treatments Monday through Friday. The motion requests Dufresne only be on house arrest from 8 p.m. until 7 a.m., or at the very least that she also be allowed to take her kids to school and extracurricular activities and attend exercise classes.
As of now Dufresne is only allowed to leave her home for mental health appointments, court, and church.
Meanwhile, both teachers are accused of having sex with a then 16-year-old student at Respess’ Kenner apartment on September 12th after a Destrehan high football game. Shelley Dufesne is also accused of having sex with the teen St. Charles Parish.
The two were English teachers at Destrehan High. Investigators say Respess was the student’s teacher last school year. They say Dufresne was his current teacher.
