OXFORD – On Monday the Oxford Board of Education – acting on the suggestion of District Superintendent Shawn Bissetta – fired a full-time teacher's aid for having an affair with a middle school student under the age of 15, and in a separate action, suspended the building's principal.

Heaven L. Parrish, 20, of Smithville Flats was arrested on Jan. 25 for second-degree rape, second-degree criminal sex act, and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child. She was a full-time teacher's aide at the middle school. She has pleaded not guilty.

The school suspended the Middle School Principal Heather Fredenburg for an undisclosed reason, but allegations from other staff claim the principal was being investigated for failing to act on previous complaints made about the teacher's aid.

On Tuesday the school released a statement, “The Oxford Academy and Central School District is continuing to cooperate closely with police on allegations of sexual misconduct taking place in the Village of Oxford early in 2018 involving middle school aide Heaven L. Parrish. At a board of education meeting on Monday, February 4, 2019, Parrish’s employment was terminated, and a district principal was placed on administrative leave pending outcome of an investigation.”