Judge denies reduced bond for North teacher charged with having sex with 13-year-old

It didn't take long for Jasper County Division 5 Judge Joseph Hensley to come to a decision.

Just two days after taking under advisement a motion from former North Middle School reading teacher Amanda Schweitzer's public defender Larry Maples to reduce her $40,000 surety bond and $10,000 cash only bond, Hensley denied the motion.

Maples had argued that Schweitzer was needed at home to take care of her children and find work to help the family since her husband recently lost his job. Maples also indicated Schweitzer suffers from depression.

That leaves Schweitzer, 38, who is charged with felony statutory rape in the first degree for allegedly having sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old boy at her home on March 29, behind bars.

The next hearing in Schweitzer's case is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 5.

Schweitzer is also charged with three felony charges, kidnapping, statutory rape, and statutory sodomy in Newton County for allegedly taking the same 13-year-old boy to the Water's Edge Camp Ground and having sex with him.

No hearing is scheduled on those charges, according to online court documents.

Schweitzer, who was placed on administrative leave by the Joplin R-8 School District, has since resigned.