Teacher accused of having affair with teenager set to enter plea

Kim Smith

Tuesday, May 7, 2002 | 9:34 a.m.

A 33-year-old California teacher accused of carrying on an illicit affair with a 15-year-old student was set to make her initial court appearance in Las Vegas Justice Court this morning.

Tanya Hadden was to appear via video in Justice of the Peace Jennifer Togliatti's courtroom. The judge appointed the Clark County Public Defender's Office to represent Hadden and scheduled a 9 a.m. hearing for Hadden to enter her plea in person on 17 sex-related charges.

Hadden, a San Bernardino teacher, is accused of beginning an affair with the boy approximately one month ago and driving to Las Vegas with him last week once authorities began to investigate rumors she had supplied teenagers with alcohol.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Doug Herndon filed a criminal complaint against Hadden charging her with eight counts of statutory sexual seduction, eight counts of sexual conduct between a teacher and student and one count of kidnapping.

Herndon said California authorities have agreed to allow Nevada to prosecute Hadden first because the potential penalties are much higher in Nevada. If convicted, Hadden could receive a life sentence.

Herdon said the case against Hadden is especially strong because the couple were found together in Nevada, authorities believe they have evidence the two were sexually involved and they confiscated a love note from Hadden to the boy.

Although Hadden and the boy are from California, Herndon said the 1998 Nevada statute that prohibits sex between teachers and students from the same school does not specify that they must be from Nevada or Clark County.

"I dissected the law every which way and I didn't see anything to prohibit us from charging Ms. Hadden," Herndon said.

According to court documents, the boy told police he and Hadden simply began driving and talking April 29. Once they arrived in Las Vegas, they stayed at the Excalibur, Silverton and Frontier.