When a 17-year-old brought a gun to his Florida school in December, investigators searched his phone and discovered disturbing texts from a teacher to him, according to a report.
According to an arrest report obtained by The Independent, Ocala Police searched the student’s phone after discovering him with a firearm at Forest High School in Marion County. His phone showed that Lindsey Rickman, a 35-year-old language arts and reading teacher at the school, had been sending him romantic messages.
Investigators discovered that the couple had said “I love you” to each other, and Rickman’s name was saved on the student’s phone next to a heart emoji.
In one exchange, Rickman, who is married, inquired whether the student had a girlfriend. He replied, “Na, only you lolz.”
According to the arrest report, the 35-year-old repeatedly expressed a desire to hug the student and referred to him as “cute.” The exchange, which dated back to 2023, implied Rickman “was possibly grooming and gaining his trust as an authority figure in his life” and was attempting to “desensitize him to the physical touch she desires.”
When police asked, the student denied having any sexual contact with Rickman, but admitted he could have if he wanted to. He described her to the police as a “cool friend.”
Rickman was his eighth-grade teacher, he told police. She previously taught at Fort King Middle School beginning in 2019 and moving to Forest High School in 2024, according to the school district.
The arrest report stated that police believed their “romantic relationship” began in June 2023.
Rickman was booked into Marion County Jail on Wednesday and charged with being an authority figure in a romantic relationship with a student in violation of state law, according to records.
She was released Thursday evening on a surety bond. Rickman’s next court appearance is scheduled for March 18.
The Marion County Public School District has placed her on paid administrative leave while police and internal investigations continue, according to a school district spokesperson. Rickman has “no reprimands or letters of discipline in her employee file other than leaving early one day.”