PRINCETON, WV (LOOTPRESS) – A Princeton Senior High School teacher was arrested Thursday following a months-long investigation by the West Virginia State Police into allegations involving fraudulent school documentation and a student.
According to state police, Corporal Brooks initiated the investigation on Nov. 20, 2025, after receiving allegations that Katelyn Lester, 36, of Lerona, had listed herself as an emergency contact for a student without authorization.
Investigators allege the listing allowed her to improperly sign the juvenile out of school on multiple occasions.
During the investigation, troopers also determined that Lester allegedly forged the student’s mother’s signature on a permission slip for an out-of-state field trip, according to authorities.
On Feb. 19, 2026, Corporal Brooks and Trooper Kennedy arrested Lester in connection with the case. She has been charged with four counts of Forgery and Uttering and four counts of Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor.
Lester was arraigned in Mercer County Magistrate Court and later released on bond.
West Virginia State Police say the investigation remains ongoing.
