CHARLOTTE (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — A former teacher at South Mecklenburg High School has pleaded guilty to one of the charges she faces for sexual activity with a student, according to court documents.
Gabriela Neufeld, 27, is accused of having a sexual relationship for at least a month with a then-18-year-old male student who attended South Meck. This came to light in late November 2023, and Neufeld was arrested by Charlotte Mecklenburg Police.
On Nov. 14, 2024, Neufeld pleaded guilty to a crime against nature, court documents state. As part of a plea agreement, five counts of sexual activity with a student were dismissed and will not be pursued again.
She was sentenced to between 6 months and 1 year, 5 months in prison. Following her imprisonment, she will be on probation for 3 years, must give up her teaching license, and cannot work with minors. In addition, she will have to surrender to any evaluation, counseling, treatment, or educational programs her probation officer orders.
Neufeld is required to pay her court fees as well as a $40-a-month supervision fee during her probation.
According to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, Neufeld was hired in 2021. She was under a four-year contract with CMS that was set to end in 2026 when the incident happened.
Queen City News has reached out to CMS to confirm the status of Neufeld’s employment. The following statement was sent out by CMS in November 2023:
Good morning South Meck High School families.
This is Principal Marc Angerer with a message about a news story you may have seen regarding a South Meck teacher. Although I cannot discuss personnel information, I wanted to inform you that we take this matter seriously. We share your concerns regarding this situation. The safety and security of our students and staff is of the utmost importance to us all, and while this is a troubling situation, it is being managed by law enforcement.
Thank you for your support of South Meck High School.
