DALTON, Ga. — The Northwest Whitfield High School teacher arrested Wednesday on drug charges faces additional charges after investigators discovered she was having a sexual relationship with a student. 

Raquel Eleana Spencer was charged Wednesday with possession of heroin after she was arrested at the school by the Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office, and Thursday morning Capt. Paul Woods said Spencer would also face another felony charge of sexual assault by persons with supervisory or disciplinary authority.

 “We are still in the preliminary investigation, but it has come to light she has been carrying on a sexual relationship with a student at the school,” Woods said. “We are still investigating.”

Woods said the relationship has been going on for at least a year and began when the student was a juvenile. The relationship came to light when messages on her phone were discovered after the sheriff’s office executed a search warrant on Spencer’s phone.

“There were text messages (which) revealed to and from Raquel Spencer and a student at Northwest High School which contained sexual content,” Woods said. “We identified and interviewed the student and it was determined the relationship had been ongoing for approximately one year.”

According to the county jail, Spencer was still being held Thursday afternoon without bond awaiting the scheduling of a bond hearing in Superior Court. 

Whitfield County Schools spokesman Eric Beavers said Spencer resigned her position on Thursday morning. 

Spencer was arrested after students and staff notified the sheriff’s office that Spencer, 29, was possibly under the influence of narcotics, according to the sheriff’s office. Beavers said in a statement that a staff member reported that Spencer was “exhibiting unusual behavior,” indicating that Spencer may have been under the influence of drugs.

According to an incident report, three teachers had approached assistant principal Robin Baggett to report Spencer was “acting strangely” and could not carry on a conversation and was talking very fast when she did. The report said she “would change the conversation on a different path that was not relating to the previous conversation.”

“Administrators went to check on the teacher and escorted her to the office,” Beavers wrote. “Since the safety of our students and staff is a top priority in our schools, the (school resource officer) asked the teacher if she would consent to a search. The teacher consented to the search. The officer found an illegal substance which led to her arrest.”

The drugs were discovered in Spencer’s personal property on school grounds.

According to the Northwest website, Spencer was an English teacher at the school. According to the Northwest student handbook, she was also an assistant cheerleader coach and assistant girls track and field coach. Beaver said she was hired by the school system in January 2013.