State v. Hirschfelder
Supreme Court of Washington
242 P.3d 876 (2010)
Matthew Hirschfelder (defendant), a 33-year-old high school teacher, had sexual intercourse with A.N.T., his 18-year-old student, at a school where students could remain registered until age 21. The state charged Hirschfelder under a statute criminalizing sexual intercourse between a school employee and a registered student at least 16 years old and at least 60 months younger than the employee. Hirschfelder moved to dismiss, arguing A.N.T. was not a "minor" under the statute since she was 18, and the court of appeals agreed, reading the statute to cover only students under 18.
Whether a special relationship of authority or influence between a perpetrator of statutory sexual misconduct and a victim can prevent the establishment of the victim's consent to sexual intercourse, regardless of the victim's age.