A teacher at Norris High School was arrested Friday for an alleged sexual relationship the 23-year-old woman had with a student, according to the Lancaster County Sheriff's Office.
Lillie Bowman, an English teacher at the high school about 15 miles south of Lincoln, was arrested on suspicion of sexual abuse by a school employee, Chief Sheriff's Deputy Ben Houchin said in a news release.
Investigators determined Bowman developed a relationship in March 2023 with a Norris student that "became sexual," Houchin said in the release, offering no further details on the case.
Bowman will be taken to the Lancaster County jail.
In an emailed statement, Norris School District Superintendent Brian Maschmann said deputies informed the district Friday morning a teacher had been arrested.
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Maschmann said Bowman, who he did not name in the statement, "was immediately removed from" her classroom and she "will not return." He said the district will work to assist the sheriff's office in its investigation.
"At this time, the district wishes to reaffirm to its students, parents and community members that student safety remains, without question, our highest priority," Maschmann said.
A Norris High School alumna, Bowman graduated from Doane University in May 2022, according to her Facebook page.
Bowman competed as a trap shooter in both high school and college and had been an assistant coach for Norris' trap team prior to her arrest, according to the district's website.
The 23-year-old will make her first court appearance Monday afternoon.
Most dangerous cities in Nebraska
Dangerous Cities in Nebraska
See how your hometown ranks among the most dangerous cities in Nebraska. Ratings have been determined according to the number of violent crimes per 1,000 people in cities of at least 10,000, with violent crime being classified as murder, forcible rape, robbery and aggravated assault. The numbers are for 2019, the most recent year for which the FBI provides data.
6. South Sioux City
With 30 violent crimes in 2019 and a population of 12,771 (the smallest on our list), the city in northeast Nebraska had 2.35 violent crimes per 1,000 people.
Photo: An RV park in South Sioux City on the Missouri River.
5. Scottsbluff
The city of 15,862 had 53 violent crimes for a rate of 3.34 per 1,000 in 2019.
Photo: Gering Police Officer Jordan McBride talks with Scottsbluff Police Officer Michael Modeac as he puts up crime scene tape at the scene of an armed standoff in Scottsbluff in June 2021.
4. North Platte
With a population of 23,705 and 89 violent crimes, the city had a rate of 3.75 per 1,000.
Photo: Union Pacific train engines line up outside a service building in North Platte.
3. Lincoln
The Star City had a population of 291,128 with 1,115 violent crimes, a rate of 3.83 per 1,000.
Photo: Police in Lincoln investigate a shooting near the intersection of 14th and E streets in August 2019.
2. Grand Island
With a population of 51,821 and 236 violent crimes, the largest of the Tri Cities had a 2019 rate of 4.55 per 1,000 people.
Photo: Grand Island police and State Patrol personnel investigate after a body was found in a Grand Island yard in August 2020.
1. Omaha
In 2019, the state's largest city at 470,481 people had 2,833 violent crimes for a rate of 6.13 per 1,000.
Photo: Omaha police and University Police guard the entrance to the Nebraska Medicine Emergency room after an Omaha police officer was shot at Westroads Mall in March 2021.
A note about the numbers
With eight violent crimes in 2019, Boys Town topped the state at 13.82 per 1,000 people, which is a misleading stat because it only had a 2019 population of 579.
Photo: The statue at the entrance to Boys Town. It doesn't take much to skew the numbers.
