POCATELLO — The local teacher accused of raping a first-grade boy appeared in court Tuesday where she entered a not-guilty plea on the two felony charges against her.

Tiffany Marie Petersen, 46, of Pocatello, who is charged with one count of lewd conduct against a child and one count of rape of a child under the age of 16, appeared in front of Sixth District Judge Stephen Dunn in the Bannock County Courthouse on Tuesday.

Petersen appeared with her Pocatello-based defense attorney, Shane Reichert, who has filed a motion to have a new judge handle the case. Dunn on Tuesday said he had yet to review the motion and therefore did not set a trial date in the case.

Dunn acknowledged that he knew Petersen in some capacity outside of the courtroom on Tuesday, adding that he did not remember what that capacity was and that he did not think his relationship with Petersen was grounds for him to recuse himself from handling the case.

Nonetheless, Dunn said he would review the motion and issue an order to both Reichert and state prosecutors of his decision to approve or deny the motion. Dunn did not provide a timeline as to when he would issue the order.

Petersen, a teacher at Syringa Elementary School in Pocatello, was indicted for the alleged sex crimes by a Bannock County grand jury last week. A warrant was issued for Petersen’s arrest and she was booked into the Bannock County Jail on Jan. 16. Petersen was released from jail on her own recognizance the following day.

Petersen allegedly engaged in sexual intercourse and other sexual acts with the first-grade student starting in August 2008 while she was his teacher at Washington Elementary School in Pocatello, according to the indictment. The student was 7 or 8 years old at the time of the incidents, which occurred at Washington Elementary, the indictment stated.

Authorities have not released any details about the crimes Petersen is accused of committing and all documents in the case other than the indictment have been sealed by judicial order.

What is known about Petersen’s case is that the criminal allegations against her coincide with information contained within an August 2018 civil lawsuit filed against her and Pocatello-Chubbuck School District 25. The civil suit was filed by the parents of the boy Petersen allegedly raped and engaged in other sexual acts with in 2008.

The lawsuit accuses the School District of trying to cover up the alleged abuse of the student committed by Petersen and her unnamed boyfriend, who was apparently allowed to be in her classroom while she was teaching at Washington.

The lawsuit states: “While a student in Ms. Petersen’s class, (the male victim) was subjected to physical, verbal and sexual abuse by Ms. Petersen, as well as her boyfriend, who was allowed to be present in her classroom.”

The lawsuit does not identify Petersen’s boyfriend by name and the man had not been criminally charged as of Tuesday evening. The parents of the male victim began to suspect something was occurring in Petersen’s classroom when their child became quiet and withdrawn during the first half of the 2008 semester, the lawsuit states.

Prior to filing the lawsuit, the boy’s parents, who are being represented by Pocatello attorney Reed Larsen, filed a notice of tort claim against Petersen and School District 25 on April 30, 2018. A tort claim is a precursory document to a civil lawsuit that must be provided to a governmental entity before an attorney can sue the respective governmental agency, or in this case a sub-agency.

In the tort claim, Larsen stated that as of April 2018 the family of the boy that Petersen allegedly sexually assaulted had accrued over $5,700 in medical treatment and care costs. Furthermore, the claim states that the family has experienced extensive pain and suffering and will encounter future medical and counseling costs in the amount of $500,000.

Larsen said School District 25 responded to the tort claim within the required 90-day threshold, which is why the civil lawsuit was filed on Aug. 16, 2018.

Authorities have not commented on when the criminal investigation of Petersen began; however School District 25 first placed Petersen on administrative leave from the district on Jan. 7, 2018.

According to a Friday School District news release, “based on information provided to … School District 25 by authorities” a teacher was placed on administrative leave “while a criminal investigation was being conducted.”

Petersen remained on administrative leave from Jan. 7, 2018, until Jan. 14, 2019. School District 25 officials declined to say whether Petersen was placed on paid or unpaid leave.

“At such time there was no indication from the authorities of any safety risk,” the district’s news release reads. “The employee was again placed on administrative leave, effective Jan. 17, 2019. The employee will remain on administrative leave until further notice.”

According to School District 25’s website, Petersen was most recently listed as a third-grade teacher at Syringa. Petersen was transferred to Syringa by the district in 2008 after teaching at Washington.

Petersen does not have a next scheduled court appearance because Dunn is in the process of reviewing Reichert’s motion to disqualify him as a judge.

Each of the felony charges Petersen is facing carries a maximum penalty of life in prison if she is convicted.