High school science instructor Stephen Griffin of Houston is facing felony criminal charges related to improper contact he had with a student who was 18 years old. The teacher, who worked at Memorial High School and was divorcing his wife, was accused of having an affair with a student for many months in return for giving the student excellent grades.
After being detained on December 7, Griffin was freed on $5,000 bail. His lawyer, Justin Harris, denied the allegations and said there is no proof of wrongdoing.
The 18-year-old girl told the Spring Branch ISD Police that she and Griffin had a romantic connection that began in a hotel and continued at his residence throughout the 2022–2023 academic year. The teenager’s mother informed school officials about the purported relationship on November 30; later that day, the student revealed that she and Griffin had exchanged damning texts.
On September 23, 2022, during Griffin’s off time, an unnamed female student approached him and requested if she may have lunch in his classroom. This was the beginning of their affair. As this happened, Griffin offered the student his mobile phone number and assured her he would be there for her whenever she needed someone to speak to. Griffin and the student exchanged texts for a few months before finally having intercourse in November at the Staybridge Suites Hotel.
Griffin started handing the student her exam answers and gave her perfect grades on all of her work, according to the student. Nevertheless, their purported romance ended in the summer of 2023 when Griffin requested that she cease messaging him as he attempted to reconcile with his wife. A forensic expert looked through the student’s Snapchat and Signal accounts to see if any communications may have implicated them during the period they were supposedly dating.
The case is ongoing.
