Special Ed Teacher Christina Formella Allegedly S*xually Abu*ed Her Student. Inside the Shocking Case and 55 Charges Against Her

Christina Formella was arrested in March 2025 on charges of sexual abuse

A community in Downers Grove has been left stunned after a special education teacher, Christina Formella, was arrested and charged in a case that has drawn widespread attention. Authorities say the allegations involve serious misconduct and multiple charges.

Christina Formella was arrested on March 16, 2025, after the mother of a 15-year-old student allegedly found explicit text messages between her son and the teacher, who was also a tutor and soccer coach. The Downers Grove Police Department later alleged that the sexual abuse began in January 2023 and continued through August 2024, per the DuPage County State’s Attorney Office. At the time, Formella was 28, and the student was 15.

“The allegations against Ms. Formella are extremely disturbing,” DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said. “It is alleged that she used her position of trust and authority as a tutor and a coach to sexually assault a minor student. The type of abuse and behavior alleged in this case will not be tolerated.”

She was initially charged with two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse and one count of criminal sexual assault against a minor. However, in June 2025, she was indicted on an additional 52 counts involving allegedly previously unknown sexual abuse and assault of the student, per the Attorney’s Office.

Here’s everything to know about what Christina Formella is accused of and the disturbing content police allegedly found in her Notes app.

Who is Christina Formella?

Formella is a former Illinois teacher who taught special education at a high school in Downers Grove, a suburb outside of Chicago. She started during the 2020-21 school year and also coached boys’ and girls’ soccer.

According to Inside Edition, Formella married her husband in Italy in 2024.

What has Christina Formella been accused of?

Formella has been accused of sexually abusing a student. According to police, she was the alleged victim’s soccer coach and tutor. One of the alleged assaults occurred in December 2023 during a tutoring session before school.

When Formella appeared in court in June 2025, prosecutors revealed 52 new charges, totalling 55, alleging that she had been grooming the victim since he was 14.

Prosecutor Jaclyn McAndrew described Formella as “unbelievably conniving and unbelievably controlling” and accused her of having sex with the victim at least 45 times, at school, at home and during school hours.

Who is Christina Formella’s alleged victim?

The identity of the alleged victim hasn’t been released, but police said that Formella was his tutor and soccer coach.

On March 15, 2025, he reported the alleged assault to a local police station in Downers Grove with his mother after she allegedly found text messages from the teacher on his cell phone.

What happened when Christina Formella was arrested?

On March 16, Formella was arrested during a traffic stop and taken into custody. Body cam footage shared by Inside Edition showed her exiting her husband’s car and being handcuffed. While in the back of the police cruiser, she asked the officers if she was in trouble and if her husband was coming with her.

In the video, the special education teacher also told the police that she felt like she was going to “throw up” as she hugged her knees and broke down crying.

Though Formella allegedly told officers that the sexual abuse started “a year and a half ago,” according to court documents, she later denied that she ever had sex with the victim. The soccer coach allegedly called him a “stalker” and claimed that “everybody comes after her because she is good looking, and she is just a good person who cared too much about [the victim].”

What did police allegedly find on Christina Formella’s phone?

Days after her arrest, PEOPLE obtained court documents that included several explicit text messages, including one that allegedly read, “I love you sooooo much baby… Even though this morning was short, it was perfect.”

When confronted about the messages, the teacher claimed that the victim took her phone during class and sent those texts to himself before deleting them on her phone. She said he then saved the texts on his phone as “blackmail.”

Police also allegedly found a “memoir” Formella had written in her Notes app about the victim. In it, she expressed anger that he had “cheated” on her and called him “disgusting.”

“We will never ever be together again,” the teacher allegedly wrote. “I’m not a second choice. I’m the best thing you’ll ever have even with all of my mistakes.”

There was also a section titled “Manifestations,” under which she allegedly wrote that the victim would contact her soon to “try to fix things” between them. She continued, “In the meantime, I’m going to live my best life knowing he’s not the person I thought he was and that he is beneath me.”

When questioned about the content allegedly found on her Notes app, Formella claimed that it was an outlet for her anxiety and that any references to sexual activity were about her husband, per the petition.

What is next in Christina Formella’s case?

In her first court appearance, Formella was charged with two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse and one count of criminal sexual assault against a minor.

The court denied a motion to detain her before her trial and released her under the condition that she could not enter Downers Grove South High School or have contact with anyone under the age of 18. She was also put on administrative leave from the school.

When Formella appeared in court again in June 2025, she was hit with 52 additional charges, as reported by multiple outlets including the Chicago Tribune. She has also relinquished her teaching license and has resigned from her job at the high school.

If convicted, Formella faces up to 60 years in prison.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.