Crime and K‑12 Education

Union City, Indiana police have arrested Alicia Hughes, a high school secretary in the Randolph Eastern School Corporation, on five counts of child seduction after investigators say she repeatedly had sex with a 17‑year‑old student. The probe began after Hughes’ husband allegedly caught her with an 18‑year‑old student over the weekend and beat her, prompting a battery investigation that led police to uncover a separate sexual relationship with the younger teen. Detectives say Hughes and the 17‑year‑old engaged in intercourse on at least five occasions; she is being held at the Randolph County Jail on a $25,000 cash‑only bond. Authorities have not yet said whether Hughes or her husband will face additional charges related to the altercation over the adult student. The district’s superintendent, Neal Adams, said Hughes has been removed from all duties pending the outcome of the legal process and that the school system is fully cooperating with law enforcement, underscoring ongoing concerns about screening, training and oversight of school staff who have daily access to students.