Bad Teachers: Kentucky

0:24 Hey everyone, and welcome back to Exposed Scandalous Files of the Elite. I'm your host, Jim Chapman, and today I am continuing the Bad Teachers state specific series. Now this week we're going to Kentucky. But before we do, I want to shout out my newest Patreon Global celebrity member, Miss Sarah Boudreaux. Now, Sarah is not far as far as the location from where I'm recording right now, just forty five minutes or so in Laplace, Louisiana. And y'all know I love my fun that, so here's one about Laplace. It is officially the on Dewey Capital of the world.

1:07 It was proclaimed that in the nineteen seventies by then Governor Edwin Edwards, which, for my non Cajun listeners, on Dewey is a spicy smoked sausage and it's typically a staple that we will put in our gumbos here in South Louisiana. So thank you so much, Sarah for your support of the show. I truly appreciate it. I mean that listeners. You can learn more about supporting the show by checking us out on Patreon at Patreon dot com. Slash Exposed podcast files. We put everything from early release episodes that are commercial free. We also do bonus episodes.

1:51 We even do quarterly gifts for our top tier Patreon members. And this is the only place that you can get the video version of Crime Wire Weekly as well as Crime Wire Weekly Overtime. So go check it out. I promise you your bang will be worth your. Buck on that. But back to it. As I said, we're going to go to Kentucky this week, and the first bad teacher I'm going to cover today was recommended by listener Lauren, So thank you listener Lauren for bringing Sydney. Graf to my attention. Now. According to Sidney's ex profile, she is a wife and mother of two perfect boys, living her best life. We'll see about that. This particular case is very fresh and it's still in the courts, So everything I'm about to discuss I have to say legally, this is alleged. You're innocent until proven guilty. But here's the story I have a.

2:55 Little about Sidney. She was thirty six years old at. The time of her and a fifth grade teacher at Smira Elementary School. This is in Louisville, Kentucky. So on December fifteenth of twenty twenty five, just a few months ago, she was arrested for having sexually explicit conversations with a male fifth grade student under the age of twelve, which in and of itself is absolutely sickening, but it got even worse when in January of twenty twenty six those charges were upgraded. So let's get into it. Due to how new that this case is, there's not a ton of information out there on Sydney's background, but what we do know is that she was born and raised in the Louisville, Kentucky area, and look, thanks to court records, we were able to find out that in two thousand and eight she was convicted of a dui that was at the young age of nineteen, and she was able to overcome this early stumbling life and at some point prior to twenty fifteen, she completes her education complete with a college degree, and she started teaching. Now I'm not sure if she was teaching at Smyrna Elementary at that point in time or not, but she was definitely teaching.

4:23 In May of twenty fifteen, she gets married and then things kind of fall off in her background and they pick up again in twenty nineteen when she gets pretty active on social media as an anti Trump supporter. And I bring this up only because in response to a tweet from Hillary Clinton that was criticizing Trump for some comments Trump made regarding John McCain, she retweeted that post with the comment quote not you pedophile, which, as you're about to discover, was pretty considering what she was about to get arrested for in the future. Now, at this point in time when she was sending those tweets, Sydney had two toddlers, and by twenty twenty four, she was the fourth grade teacher at Smyrna Elementary School, and she was, by all accounts, the type of teacher you would want for your fourth grader. She was very active on social media, fundraising for school supplies, et cetera for her classroom, and would describe her students as some of the brightest, most kind hearted students she had ever had the pleasure of teaching.

5:37 During the twenty twenty four twenty twenty five school years, as a matter of fact, she would transition into the role a fifth grade math teacher at that school. So to tell you what happened with this bad teacher, I need. To discuss quickly with you what an nt idea is and simply put this as an acronym for non traditional instruction. Basically, this is a day where, due to snowy weather, for example, students would have to have remote learning with the teacher to avoid getting out in that snowy weather. And it was on a non. Traditional instruction day that trouble with this bad teacher would start. So, according to the arrest report, someone and it doesn't specify who, reported to the school that during one of these NTI days, Sydney had sexually explicit conversations with a fifth grade student.

6:38 So the school contacts police as they have to do as mandated reporters, and police start investigating and they managed to get screenshots in even videos of the conversations. Once all of this evidence is gathered, on December fifteenth of twenty twenty five, they arrest Graph and get this, when this sick individual is arrested, she is actually on the way to this fifth grader's house to pick him up, allegedly for rendezvous. So police bring her to the station and she admits to having these explicit conversations, and not only that, but a search of her vehicle uncovers drugs including hydra codone and adderall.

7:34 So consider this. Your warning because I'm going to go into detail with what we know was said in these conversations that took place, and it's really graphic. It's going to shock the shit out of you. So if that upsets you, turn off the podcast now. But if you want all the details, regardless of how graphic they can be, here they are now. It's important to note that while the initial conversations would take place on an NTI day, it doesn't mean she was dumb enough to have them like in a learning room on Zoom or something with a bunch of students in the room while she's saying stuff to one particular student.

8:19 In fact, my sources say the explicit stuff took place on Snapchat, and those chats included discussions about Sydney Graf wanting to have oral sex with this fifth grader and even going so far as to say, and I'm quoting this y'all quote, I really need to taste that dick fr FR, which is short for for real for real. Also in that chat, that's where her and this fifth grader start discussing meeting up, so she gets arrested for having those sexually explicit conversations as well as those drugs in her car, and on December sixteenth of twenty twenty five, the very next day, she gets arraigned.

9:09 And I actually have a clip of that. It's only about six minutes in length, but it's very interesting if you don't know how these arraignments work. So here's that clip. Before we address your case, I want to make sure you understand your constitutional rights. First of all, the right to remain silent. You don't have to talk to anybody today. This gentleman's with the PDS Office Public Defender's Office. He's here to help you. If you have any questions, we're gonna enter. Our plea most likely if not guilty, figure out your next court date, figure. Out your attorney situation. You do have felony charges, so if you have a right to a preliminary hearing before a judge to determine if that crime was committed and committed by you. If you remain in custody, that hearing has to be held within ten days of today your arraignment.

9:55 If you get out of custody, it has to be held within twenty days off your arraignment on down the road. You have the right to a trial and a right to appeal, But for today, we're going to enter that not guilty plea. Figure out if you. Want to hire your own attorney, if you're qualify for a public defender, figure out your bond, and figure out your next sport date. Okay, okay, Hang on a second. You are charged with procuring or promoting use of a minor by electronic means. It's a sea felony. I'm going to interruptly if not guilty to that charge right now. The bond is one hundred thousand full cash to hip if posted with no social media and you say you want to hire your own attorney internet, okay.

10:39 Follow your experience. Okay, I believe, I believe it is great, great, right, good, Yes. Okay, I'm going to enter an appearance in the case. At this point in time, at least are the purposes for rangement all of my with according to permission. Okay, I'm Sidney. I'm going to enter a plea for you. Do you understand that he has said, Jackie, we're gonna admit her. Identity way form reading of your charges, reserve the right final. In the appropriate emotions of the later time and the three.

11:20 Am not guilty. All right one of that plea if not guilty, note you at least for today's purposes, mister Miller, the bond is one hundred thousand full cast you hip have posted. She is a low one low one. Could we address the bond issue, Jesu. Of course. She even a longtime resident. Cheer you guys that are require her life. They are let's property here in town. She has two children here in town. She's married, has her family, her sister, and she said, well her years life or is she is not? She had one charge back about two thousand six or eight, a traffic violation.

12:06 That's the only charge that I know is that she asked that representative back then. So assumed we charge on on this points. I realize that being charges are serious on one hundred thousand dollars, Jay, the question she cannot is not cost of today? Then I would suggested to throw all possibles ten percent. Unless you're now. All right, Miss Southern, you're. Honor based on the nature of the allegations of the county, would strongly object table introduction at this juncture. We are asking for there to be written no contact order, and that would be no contact with the juvenile victim, no contact with the place of violation, no content with any minor children, no social media or electronic devices, and no contact with any JCCUS property. Our position, as I said, is that given the facts and circumstances as seb or in the jc I'm sorry the uniform citation that this one is completely appropriate, and we're not disagreeing with mister Miller that her prior record consists of a two thousand and eight DUI. But nonetheless, these allegations are extremely serious.

13:16 There are allegations of certainly contact. Josh, I'm not correct if the traffic violation was like a two thousand and six or eight. It's like fifteen or twenty. Years old, and fifteen years old, I said, I agreed with you. Oh, I followed, Yes I did, But I said I agreed that there was a two thousand and eight DUI. Yes, I'm sure. The allegations here are certainly extremely serious, extremely concerning related to the alleged contact with the juvenile in question, and then certainly of additional concern are the allegations that there were then not just contact that was electronic in nature, but then arrangements being made to meet the juvenile, and.

14:08 Looks like there were actual. Attempts of picking up that juvenile from his residence, which is where the citation indicates that that's where she was apprehended. So, as I said, our position is that this bond is appropriate and should not be changed in anyway. All right, miss scrap, I am going to leave the bond where it is one hundred thousand full cash to hip with no social media and absolutely no contact with the victim in this case, no messages through a third party, no email, snail mail, nothing like that. All right, Jack, Can I ask, can we the ability to post real property jation? No cash only?

14:50 Correct? Go through those correct? I never do real property, so. You hurt the public defender there. Attempt to get the judge to lower that bond, but no dice on that, and the judge held that bond, but it didn't matter. She made the bond anyway. And it's cash only, y'all, meaning she had to drop. Ten grand to get released. So when these people are arrested, the investigation doesn't stop. At that point. It's still going on, and by the time Sydney Graf is indicted, by a grand jury, more evidence of even worse crimes are discovered. As a matter of fact, the police discovered enough evidence, though the specifics are not available, to actually add charges including first degree rape of a victim under twelve, first degree sidomy of a victim under twelve, and unlawful transaction with a minor under sixteen, as well as additional drug charges.

15:55 And I want to clear this up quickly. Sionomy can include anal sex oral sex, and a lot of people ask me, does that mean they had anal sex with the victim. No, not necessarily. In ninety nine percent of the cases sonomy, as it relates to a victim under twelve, especially when it's a female teacher and a male student, it usually means oral sex. Either the student gave. The teacher oral sex or vice versa, or in sometimes both. So I just wanted to clear that up. So she's taken into custody again because remember she was out on bond, and this time she's unable to post bond because it had been raised up to five hundred thousand dollars and that's a cash bond. She didn't have five hundred k cash.

16:45 And as off this recording, she remains in jail now. As far as the time she is facing for the first degree rape alone, she's looking at twenty years to fifty years. Same with the sodomy chargers. She's also looking at ten to twenty years with that transaction of a minor charge, so she could end up spending the vast majority of the rest of her life in prison over this. Just disgusting under twelve years old. So let's move on to our next bad teacher, also referred by lessener laurene, and that is Elena Borden of Adare County, Kentucky. In this case is a different one because Elena she was a twenty seven year old English teacher who taught at the Adair County Detention Center. And she not only was convicted of multiple instances of engaging in sexual contact with a seventeen year old inmate, but she was also charged with soliciting a seventeen year old inmate to kill her forty nine year old husband.

17:58 She was twenty seven. So bucket your seat belts for this one, and I'll start out by telling you Elaina was born in nineteen ninety seven. Not a lot of publicly available information out there regarding her background. But prior to twenty twenty, she does get married to her husband, and as I said, he was two decades her senior, and that's a big age gap. Also in twenty twenty, she starts working in the Adair County Schools as an English teacher. Now, by twenty twenty four, her career leads her to an even more unconventional path as she begins teaching at the Adair Youth Detention Center youth prison basically, and she's teaching English to incarcerated teens, including the seventeen year old boy we're talking about today.

18:53 Now, she was. Paying this particular teen a lot of attention, and it was nuticsa by other staff. Early on at that center, Elainna and this boy just seemed to always be around each other. Other inmates were talking about this. Other staff was talking about this so much so that her boss had to have a as we would say here in the South, come to Jesus' meeting with her and tell her she needed to get away from this seventeen year old. The staff at one point even transfers this team to a different area of the detention center in an effort to rain this thing in. Now, all of this is going on while not only is this now twenty seven year old married teacher cheating on her husband, but she also has a five year old child.

19:49 So on March. Twenty seventh of twenty twenty five, prison staff was conducting a routine search of cells, and it was during said search that they uncover some pretty damning stuff. In the cell of this particular seventeen year old. They find both letters and explicit pictures in the juvenile's bunk that were sent by Elaine and Barden. And this was quite the stash. All this wasn't one or two letters, how about one hundred and ninety three letters alone. They confiscate the letters and at this point the Kentucky State Police get called in and a full scale investigation is started. Now what police would uncover was pretty shocking. Those letters pretty dirty stuff.

20:41 Not I love you, do you love me? More like fifty shades of gray dirty. There were writings back and forth referencing the teacher grabbing the teens balls and playing with the teens penis and things like that. That and even some references to the teen killing Elena's husband. Yep, you heard that right now. To be fair, and I'll discuss it in a few minutes. It was a reach that charge for soliciting a teen to murder her husband, but we'll get into that. Police do arrest Elina Barden on April second of twenty twenty five for first degree sexual abuse distributing obscene material to a minor, which for the new pictures that they found also in this kid's bunk, and as I told you, solicitation to commit first degree murder. So it's off to jail for this teacher. And it was not long after that, and not surprising that her husband files for divorce. This is in May of twenty twenty five. What would you expect Your wife has now been arrested for several different things, including trying to hire someone to kill you. And I want to offer my kudos to everyone involved in this case, from the judge to the prosecution to the defense team.

22:06 The speed in which this one made it to trial was something I don't come across very often. In fact, the sheer fact that this case went to trial is also something I rarely see. And you can bet that solicitation of murder had something to do with that. So what came out during this trial, well, in regards to those one hundred and ninety three letters, many of them describing sexual fantasies Barden had for this team, and one in particular even reference to the fact that Barden was concerned about being labeled a pedophile and would urge the team to hide the letters. And that's important because it's a proof she knew what she was doing was wrong.

22:55 You can't then come back and say, well, he was seventeen, I thought it was okay. Nope, you said it. In the letters that he needed to hide them because you were concerned you may be labeled a pedophile. Now, in addition to that, they uncovered evidence in these letters of kissing and groping. And of course, as I told you, they uncovered nude pictures of Barden that were found in his bunk and these were actually interestingly developed at a local Walmart and then given him, So these are physical pictures. Security footage was also shown to the jury of Elena Barden entering his cell multiple times and staying there for extended periods. Now, there were some writings where Barden would express concern of the fact that she did not want to, in her words, lose custody of her kids. In a divorce, but that she was not happy and she wanted to leave the marriage. And here's a key quote in one of the letters. In one of those letters, she said quote, I know you say you'll take care of him, but shouldn't someone else do it to take suspicion away from you?

24:09 Nuot. Now, the Stenate testified he thought Barden was serious. However, Bardon said she was just joking about it. Now, she also kept a diary, and this is important to mention where she would reference the team getting rid of her husband. And if you were to look at the entire context of these letters. It could really go either way as to. Whether she was really wanting to plot to kill her husband or not. In the end, however, the jury did not buy that, and she was acquitted on the solicitation of murder charge, but she was found guilty of everything else.

24:50 And I'm gonna play for you now the actual clip where the judge hands down that sentence, and then I'm gonna give you my thought on this whole deal. So here's that. I think I've received. I think four letters. I'm as Bardan received a letter from her parents, probably the best written letter I've ever received, and they're obviously very intelligent, articulate people. Received one from her husband, received someone from someone down at the jail and involved with jail ministries. And then I received the fourth letter that the identity of which. Escapes me right now, but I read it.

25:32 Anything you wish to say prior to the court. Imposing sentence and no, y'all, I think everything was, you know, laid out in the letters as well as in the motions that we filed. I don't need to argue those, Judge, I think they're sufficient to rely on the pleadings just we we understand the jury's verdict, we understand what heard in the case. We obviously the court set through the trial. We still think there's certain issues with the case, obviously being adult, being a minor, those type of things, but the jury verdict was what it was, and we're prepared for the course ruling and we'll proceed. However, we need.

26:16 To mister Wright, how about on your end, anything you wish to say prior to the courton posting sentence just fling. I would say that there's no reason to rehash the uh, the facts of the case. I give mister Roland's the court heard that over the course of the trial. You know, it's the case that that that a jury in the community and Adair County was able to hear. They certainly, I think took took the evidence and the instructions to heart and deliberated. And I would just ask the Court of census pardon in accordance with the jury's verdict that they rendered in the case. I think it was fairly try. I think the court didn't comment. There was a clean trial, and I think the I think the jury got it right, and I would ask the court to sence her in accordance with their verdict. John, Okay, mister, anything else on behalf of miss pardon?

27:02 No, y'all anything you wish to. Say, miss pardon? Now? How it all right? This is a very unfortunate case, needless to say, Like I said, I was very impressed with the letters involving your parents. Let's start with the motion for a new trial and judgment of quittal. I'm going to deny those motions. I think this was a clean trial. I really don't see any issues that came up at the trial that I think would be a concern. From an appellate standpoint. I think the jury got the verdict right in this particular matter, all the way around, you know, in what we do, I've always said, and I believe that the juries get things right more than anybody else in our process.

27:49 I absolutely believe that, and I. Think they got it right here. I really don't think you intended to try to solicit that young man to kill your husband. I don't think he did. I think the acquitto on that was the right decision by the jury. It's what I would have done if I had been sitting on the jury, if it had been tried in front of me. I think you were acquitted on various charges that you probably should have been acquitted on, And of course I directed a verdict on two of the accounts because. There wasn't any evidence I I to warn a conviction. You said one hundred and twenty one hundred and ninety three pages of letters. I think it was to this young man.

28:29 One of them got you convicted. One letter, the one where you basically admitted to the sexual contact with this young man, which of course triggered the other charge in. This particular case. That that's what got you convicted, and the jury was right to convict you of it. You know, regarding the sentence on this particular matter. There have been situations, I think probably four times when I've had trials and I have reduced the sentence that a jury recommended because I just thought it was very unreasonable. What they had offered or what they had recommended the jury.

29:10 I think I've done that. Four times and the many many. Trials I've had, and I've considered that in your case. The thing that about this, Miss Bardener, it's not necessarily in my mind, what I would probably would have done if I'd been sitting on the jury. I don't think I would have done fourteen had I been a jury. Because you're going to pull right under twelve of that. These are eighty five percent pro eligibility. The question that for me is that whether or not I think their recommendation was unreasonable to. The point where I'm not going to follow it. A couple concerns I have about the case and about your conduct in this case.

29:55 First of all, you were an educator. Okay, you're an educator of these kids. These are trouble kits. That that's why they're there. I mean, you're there to set a better example. And the letters you sent, which I mean they were, they were juicy. I mean, there were things you'd see in a Triple X movie, completely inappropriate, obviously, and I think you know that for a for a, for a young man of that age, and as an educator, it was incumbent upon you to set a better example. My biggest concern is the fact that though miss Barton is this. Is that you were counseled to stop this. Okay, we heard testimony from your supervisor, basically the supervising educator at the facility when you when you taught there, Brad Stevens.

30:44 He pulled in his office and said, hey, we're getting complaints. You're around this kid too much. You need to distance yourself from him. This is not a good look. You're you're gonna get yourself in a spot here. I think that another witness, Jessica Black, testified that they actually moved this young man to another part of the building, another pod, so to speak, to try to get him away from you. And ma'am, not only did you not take heed that advice and stop, it looks like to me you actually even doubled down on the behavior after that. And that's concerning that.

31:27 That's that's concerning I know a lot of people in your letter talk about your mental health issues, that you've had issues with being bipolar, and and and I don't doubt any any of that. I will say, though the nine hundred and ninety three pages of letters pictures everything else. I mean, it depicts a very intelligent and articulate young woman who was clearly articulating her thoughts and desires to this kid. I don't doubt you have some issues, but it's just those. Issues aren't enough for me to not follow the jury recommendation in this particular case. I just don't find even though it might not have been what I would have done if I were sitting on the jury, it probably would not have been. I don't find it an unreasonable recommendation, and so I'm going to follow it. So on the case on the charge of sexual abuse first degree, I'm going to impose a sentence.

32:23 Of four years. On the charge of unlawful transaction with a minor illegal sex act child under the age of eighteen, I'm going to impose a sentence of ten years. Pursuing into the jury's recommendation, I'm going to run those sentences consecutive for a total of fourteen years. I'm also going to sign an order requiring you to register as a sex offender as required by law for twenty years. I'm signing the interpersonal protective order that would prohibit you from. Having contact with this young man. I think that is for a period of. Three years. I think that should be I'm ten years. I'm sorry.

33:05 Yeah, I don't really see that as being an issue, but that you are under a court order to have no contact with him for that period of time. And obviously I'm gonna wave your fines and cost on this particular case based upon the sentence, ma'am. I wish you the best, I truly do up on your release. You know it's gonna be It's gonna be a while, but in the big scheme of things, when. You are released, you're going to be a relatively young woman. You are. You have the rest of your. Life to live and spend time with your family and children, and I wish. You well up on your release. Good luck. That'll conclude it. You. So, this is the first time you will ever hear me, and likely the only time that a sentence may have been a little bit too stiff.

33:55 And here's why. And I want you to throw out the whole kill my husband thing because she was acquitted of that. The fact is really what it boils down to. She was passing love letters in some new pictures back and forth to this seventeen year old and she may have touched is dick a couple of times. They never had sex or anything like that. Now, do I think she should have done some jail time? Yeah, two to four years seems appropriate. But fourteen years when just about every teacher that I've covered has had multiple instances of sex with multiple students a lot of the time, some of them fifty sixty times, and all they get is probation.

34:45 This one just doesn't fit. It's almost on the extreme side of it. I'd be curious to know what your thoughts are, But there you have it. Another stayed down in Kentucky. I'm giving you a C on the bad teachers consequence scale. One of them I. Think suffered really too much of a consequence, the other one not enough in my opinion. So there you have it, you get a C. Thank you so much for listening. Check out the Patreon commercial, free early releases. Bonus episodes. I Do all kinds of stuff.

35:26 Patreon dot com, slash exposed podcast files, also pictures of all the people I discuss, records, etc. Files. Once again, Patreon dot com exposed podcast files. And I want to tell my Patreon members, I can't tell you how much I love you for supporting what I do here on the show. I could not do it without you. Before I get out of here today, I do want to mention this. I have had a conglomerate of messages asking me about Epstein files and am I gonna do an episode on Epstein. I'm not only doing an episode on Epstein. I'm doing an entire series on Epstein. It takes time, y'all. Hell, I gotta go through three million files, and look, I read this shit. I don't just go off the hip. I read and gather facts, and that takes time, especially in this case. I can tell you that the first episode is going to start off with the Palm Beach arrest of Epstein way back in the day, and we're gonna pick it up from there, and we're gonna go all the way up to today. And I know it's interesting as of today, Actually Hillary Clinton is right now as I'm recording, testifying in Congress. But yes, I'm gonna be issuing an entire series dedicated to the

36:57 Epstein Files. It's coming your way. I'm exactly sure when that first episode is going to drop. It's still going to be a little bit. But I love it that y'all are interested in it, so am I. But that sucker will blow your mind. That will blow. Your mind when you're a storyteller, because number one, you want to get it all right, and number two, it is just so mind blowing. I can't even put it into words. But thank you for your interest, and that's coming your way. And until next time for exposed scandalous files of the elite, I'm your host, Jim Chapman. Much love Do