Former Sunday school teacher Rachel Lehnardt has been charged with two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and lost custody of her five children after revealing the details of her wild night with her teenage daughter’s friends to another adult.
According to the police report released by the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office (via NBC News), Rachel admitted to her AA sponsor that she recently invited her 16-year-old daughter’s friend over to “party.” The night began when she provided the teens with weed and alcohol. After joining the teens in a game of naked Twister, Rachel had sex in a bathroom with one of the 18-year-old guests. Afterward, she announced to the group she was still “horny” and brought sex toys into the living room for them to use. The night ended when she got naked with the teens in a hot tub.
Rachel told her sponsor she passed out in her own bed, but awoke around 3:30 a.m. when her daughter’s 16-year-old boyfriend started having sex with her. She later told her sponsor her daughter felt guilty because “the 16-year-old was 10-inches long and huge, and if she had been able to take it, he wouldn’t have needed to rape her mother.”
The shocked sponsor — whom Rachel knew from services at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — reported the story to the police. The mother-of-five was then arrested and released on $3,200 bond. She also lost custody of her children, who range in age from 4 to 16. The teen accused of rape has not been charged as officers say there isn’t sufficient evidence.
Speaking to The New York Daily News, Rachel’s attorney, Shawn P. Hammond, said the allegations are “exaggerated.” He also said Rachel is going through a difficult time and should be shown sympathy.
“It’s a difficult situation for the entire family,” he said. “This mom is attempting to accept responsibility for her conduct and will do everything in her power to make amends to the public and her children and will never allow this conduct to be repeated.”
He added she plans to attend counseling and continue going to AA meetings.
Rachel’s AA sponsor said that, as a Mormon, Rachel never drank until her husband returned from Iraq with PTSD and anger problems in 2010. The sponsor added, “People who have never drunk a day in their life tend not to know how to handle their alcohol.” She said Rachel vowed to get sober after the party.
