(The Lion) — A 2025 Colorado Teacher of the Year award finalist has been arrested on charges of kidnapping and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office arrested 44-year-old Tera Johnson-Swartz Feb. 20 after she allegedly picked up an underage male student in her vehicle and took him off school grounds without his parents’ knowledge or permission.

According to the arrest affidavit, Johnson-Swartz met the student while she was his teacher at STEM School Highlands Ranch, and at some point she gave him her cellphone number so the two could exchange texts.

Officials say over the course of three weeks in December and January they exchanged over 2,400 texts and had private rendezvous in her car. They say some of the text messages included “more intimate discussions” and pictures of her at a nightclub.

They also allege Johnson-Swartz bought the student cigarettes, shared her marijuana vape pen with him and kissed him. She also allegedly told him to delete their text messages and talked about waiting until he was an adult, arguably acknowledging their relationship was inappropriate.

Notably, the affidavit alleges she took the juvenile off school grounds even after she knew she was under investigation and had retained an attorney to represent her.

Johnson-Swartz worked as a high school teacher at Highlands Ranch from 2022 until Feb. 14, school Chief Innovation Officer Matt Cartier said in a statement. He also said she was placed on leave Jan. 21, prior to her employment being severed, after the sheriff’s office informed the school she was under investigation. The statement did not specify whether she was fired or resigned.

Last fall, Johnson-Swartz was one of four finalists for the 2025 Teacher of the Year Award from the Colorado Department of Education.

Johnson-Swartz was reportedly in custody at the Douglas County Detention Center, with bail set at $50,000.