High school teacher allegedly had regular drugged-up sex with teen student in her parents’ home

A high school special-education teacher has been hit with 63 charges for allegedly having sex with a 16-year-old student in her parents’ home after plying him with marijuana.

Michelle Mercogliano, 35, a teacher at Conestoga High School in Chester County, Pennsylvania, allegedly had sex with the teen student around a dozen times since February after picking him up after school and taking him to buy him medical marijuana, according to a criminal complaint obtained by WPVI.

“After traveling to the marijuana dispensary, Mercogliano and [the teen] would smoke marijuana together and have sex, usually in a bedroom at her parents’ residence,” police wrote in the complaint.

Michelle Mercogliano, 35, was charged with having sex with a 16-year-old boy on Wednesday. LinkedIn

The Tredyffrin Township Police Department launched an investigation Monday after being contacted by the accuser’s family about the alleged relationship.

Her litany of charges includes institutional sexual assault and corruption of minors.

“The calculated actions by this defendant are shocking and disturbing,” said Chief Michael Beaty.

“We are here to support the victim and his family as we collectively work to rebuild the trust damaged by her criminal endeavors,” Beaty added.

Mercogliano was charged on Wednesday but has not been arrested yet. Police say she has been cooperative and has arranged a time to turn herself in with her lawyer, WPVI reported.

Mercogliano was a special education teacher at Conestoga High School in Tredyffrin, Pa. Google Maps

She is an academic support teacher at the high school and also works as an adjunct professor at Immaculata University, teaching Italian, according to the district’s website.

The Tredyffrin Easttown School District confirmed that Mercogliano was “immediately” placed on leave after they learned of the allegations this week, according to a letter sent out to the school community.

She’d been teaching at Conestoga since the fall and previously taught at Hillside Elementary School from 2019 to 2024. She had worked as a paraprofessional in the district since 2014, the district said.

“We have no information at this time to indicate that the criminal investigation involves other students,” Superintendent Richard Gusick said in a statement.