Court document: Former North Middle School teacher beaten in jail while awaiting trial on felony statutory rape charge

In a bond reduction motion filed today in Jasper County Circuit Court, Rebekah E. Wedick, the newly hired lawyer for former North Middle School reading teacher Amanda Schweitzer, claims Schweitzer has been "harassed, beaten, and threatened by other inmates."

The incidents, Redick said, "have been witnessed and documented by the guards."

Schweitzer is being held on a $40,000 surety bond plus $10,000 cash bond on a felony statutory rape charge.

The probable cause statement said Schweitzer, 37, took a 13-year-old boy to her home and had sex with him.

She also has been charged with statutory rape, statutory sodomy and kidnapping in Newton County for allegedly taking the same boy to the Water's Edge Camp Ground and having sex with him.

In the bond reduction motion, Wedick points out her client has no prior felony or misdemeanor convictions and up until now had never had any problems with the law.

"Defendant has long suffered from depression and six months ago was treated for a major concussion. She voluntarily checked herself into (a) mental health treatment program prior to being arrested."

Redick notes that Schweitzer has "a stable place to go home to should she be granted a reasonable bond.

"Defendant's husband is more than willing to let her move back into the marital home. Defendant's husband is compassionate, involved and is supporting her throughout this despite the alleged circumstances."

The husband has a new job and is financially stable, Redick wrote, adding that her client would "happily comply with GPS monitoring or any other restrictions this court deems necessary."

Schweitzer was arrested during a Joplin Police Department investigation of allegations that Schweitzer sent nude photos of herself to three students, age 14, 14, and 13.