JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A high school teacher at Trinity Christian Academy of Jacksonville was fired over an inappropriate relationship with a high school student, according to a statement from the school.
On Tuesday, the private school on the Westside reported the inappropriate relationship between the teacher and student to law enforcement, and terminated the teacher, the statement said. Parents of students were also alerted.
"We are deeply saddened by this situation, because it is so far removed from the standards and values to which we hold our faculty and embrace as a school," the statement reads, in part. "We are committed to offering care and support for the student and all families impacted."
According to James Baltz, a former student who now works at the school, the fired teacher was a Bible teacher and soccer coach who was popular among students.
"When I heard about it, I was in complete, like, all in shock," Baltz told News4Jax on Thursday. "It's just completely awful that it happened in this environment, especially a Christian environment."
WATCH: Former student, current student react to firing of teacher
Baemnet Abetew, a 12-grader at TCA, said the teacher's termination has affected everyone at the school.
"It did shock me. I didn’t think anything like this would happen here," Abetew said. "It is scary because it's something that could have happened to me."
Auna Nix, who has a son who attends TCA, said the situation is heartbreaking.
"It just scares me as a parent," she said. "But I trust the school that they're going to make the right decision."
The teacher's name was not released. It's unclear whether the teacher has been arrested.