'Obsessed' English teacher, 31, is sentenced to seven years in prison for having oral sex with underage female student
- Lisa DeFluri, 31, pleaded guilty to 11 counts of second-degree sexual abuse and was sentenced to seven years in prison
- DeFluri, an English teacher and basketball coach at Thurson High School in Oregon, was initially arrested in December
- DeFluri was accused of engaging in oral sex and inappropriate touching with a female player on her team younger than 18
- DeFluri was re-arrested on April 13 and charged with contempt of court for allegedly meeting with victim
- Police detective described DeFluri's relationship with the teen as 'obsessive'
- Girl's mother said in court DeFluri had been grooming her daughter for sexual abuse from age 12
- DeFluri and her husband, a fellow English teacher, made national headlines in 2015 when they got married at a tailgate party outside Rose Bowl
- DeFluri's husband divorced her after arrest; couple share a toddler son
Lisa DeFluri, 31, a former Oregon high school teacher and coach, has pleaded guilty to 11 counts of second-degree sexual abuse and was sentenced to seven years in prison
A former Oregon high school teacher and basketball coach has been sentenced to seven years in prison after admitting to repeatedly having oral sex with her underage female student.
Lisa DeFluri, 31, pleaded guilty to 11 counts of second-degree sexual abuse and on Thursday was handed a seven-year prison term, which will be followed by supervision. She will also have to register as a sex offender for life.
DeFluri had been head coach of the Thurston High School girls basketball team since 2018 and was also listed on the school’s website as a 10th grade teacher for English and English support classes.
In December 2020, DeFluri, who made national headlines in 2015 when she got married at the Rose Bowl, was accused of inappropriately touching and engaging in oral sex with a female student under the age of 18 on multiple occasions between July and December 2020, reported The Register-Guard.
The age of DeFluri's victim was not shared, but in Oregon, the age of consent for sexual activity is 18.
DeFluri had been head coach of the Thurston High School girls basketball team since 2018 and was also listed on the school’s website as a 10th grade teacher for English
DeFluri was arrested again last month for violating the conditions of her release from jail by secretly meeting with the victim and communicating with her over the phone.
During Thursday's hearing, Springfield police detective Jamie McMahon described DeFluri and the victim’s relationship as 'obsessive,' reported the station KEZI.
McMahon said she found love letters and pictures of the woman and teen all over the girl's apartment and DeFluri’s classroom.
'It was basically hiding in plain sight,' McMahon said. 'There were notes everywhere. They weren’t hard to find.'
The victim's mother described DeFluri in her impact statement as 'sick' and 'unstable.' She said that the teacher had been grooming her daughter for sexual abuse for years.
'Being a family friend…we trusted Lisa and she made sure we trusted her. And little by little she went deeper into our lives,' the mother said. 'At 11 to 12 years old, Lisa had set eyes on our child and family and the grooming began then.'
When given a chance to speak, DeFluri expressed remorse for inflicting harm both on the victim and also on her own family, including her three-year-old son. Her husband of five years divorced her in the wake of her arrest.
'I know I cannot adequately apologize for the harm I have caused and the words "I’m sorry" - they don’t cut it,' DeFluri said. 'The words "I’m sorry" do not undo the damage I’ve done to [the victim] and [the] entire family or the suffering that I have inflicted on my own son.'
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DeFluri and her husband, Steve Twomey (left), made national headlines in 2015 when they got married at a tailgate party in Pasadena, California, during the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Rose Bowl
Investigators interviewed the alleged victim, her family, and witnesses, and seized phones and computers to search of corroborating evidence.
Springfield School District had initially placed DeFluri on paid administrative leave and later terminated her after conducting an internal investigation.
DeFluri and her husband, Steve Twomey, sparked a media frenzy five years prior when they got married at a tailgate party in Pasadena, California, during the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Rose Bowl.
DeFluri's husband divorced her after arrest; the couple share a toddler son
According to a CNN report, DeFluri and Twomey have been together since seventh grade and share an obsession with the University of Oregon's football team, the Oregon Ducks.
The couple were set to have a beach wedding when their team got a berth to the semifinal at the Rose Bowl, which inspired them to scrap their matrimonial plans and instead tie the knot outside the Rose Bowl stadium, with the groom's stepdad officiating the ceremony.
DeFluri's ex-husband works as an English teacher in the same district. There is no indication he was involved in any of the alleged crimes.
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