An elementary school teacher in Wyandotte, Oklahoma, faces criminal charges for an alleged inappropriate relationship with her foster child.

35-year-old Melanie Friend was arrested earlier this week by the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office after reports of an inappropriate incident was alleged to have occurred in June 2025 between her and her then 16-year-old foster son. Friend is employed by the Turkey Ford School District in Wyandotte.

Friend has been charged with one count of child sexual abuse. The investigation remains ongoing.