RELEASED: Married teacher caught naked in car with male student, 17, is wife of Harvard-educated defense secretary, and they have a daughter the same age as her victim
The husband of the Nebraska teacher accused of having sex with one of her students has been revealed as a Harvard-educated deputy at the Department of Defense.
Erin Ward, 45, was charged with one count of aggravated sexual abuse of a school employee after she was found naked with a boy at the high school.
Now DailyMail.com can reveal that her husband is a senior US government employee who has worked with the Department of Defense for almost two decades.
William Douglas ‘Doug’ Ward, 53, was named deputy director of the Commander’s Action Group and Senior Nuclear Deterrence Advisor at the United States Strategic Command in February.
His LinkedIn shows he has worked with the strategic command since 2005, initially serving as a deputy division chief.
The husband of Nebraska substitute teacher Erin Ward has been revealed as Doug Ward, 53, an employee of the US Department of Defense
Ward, 45, was arrested Saturday morning after Douglas County Sheriff’s deputies found her naked inside a car with a 17-year-old student
The couple’s daughter, a 10th grader, is about the same age as the boy Ward sexually abused
The Strategic Command, headquartered in Omaha, is a military unit that detects and deters attacks against the country and its allies.
In addition to his impressive job title, Doug graduated from Harvard Extension School in 2021 with a master’s degree in political science and government.
The father-of-three posted a photo dressed in his cap and gown to X, formerly Twitter, as he attended a virtual graduation ceremony during the pandemic.
‘I graduated today!’ he proclaimed, accompanied by the hashtag ‘#couchcommencement’.
The couple share a home in Gretna, just outside Omaha, with their three teenage children.
Their adopted daughter is a 10th grade student around the same age as the boy Ward is accused of abusing.
The couple’s children feature prominently on their social media pages, praising their academic achievements.
Doug liked several tweets condemning child sexual abuse in the Catholic Church in 2017, between photos of his children and retweets from his wife.
Doug graduated from the Harvard Extension School in 2021 with a master’s degree in political science and government
The father of three was named deputy director of the Commander’s Action Group at the US Strategic Command in February
Ward (center) was a substitute teacher at several Omaha-area schools, including Omaha Burke High School
In November, Ward posted a photo of keys, a printed schedule and an Omaha Burke High School lanyard to his profile.
‘Absolutely the best school as a visiting school teacher,’ she wrote. ‘Favorite building to teach in…love when I get to be a bulldog.’
The 45-year-old worked as a substitute teacher at several urban area schools. It was in Burke that she met the teenage boy she was found with in the early morning hours of April 13.
Around 3 a.m., Douglas County deputies were called to investigate a suspicious car parked in a cul-de-sac.
There, they found Ward and the victim inside a Honda Pilot “determined to be owned by Ward and her spouse,” the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a news release.
The 17-year-old jumped into the driver’s seat and sped off in the SUV, crashing into a yard two blocks away. He then fled on foot, wearing only a t-shirt, boxers and socks, and was found about an hour later.
Ward was getting dressed in the backseat when deputies approached.
They found an Omaha Public Schools employee ID from inside the car. Ward confirmed she was a substitute at Burke, where the teenager was enrolled, and admitted to having intercourse with him.
In November, Ward posted a picture of a schedule and a Burke High School key to X, formerly Twitter, claiming it was ‘the best school’
Police recovered an Omaha Public Schools ID from the car where Ward and the boy were found. She admitted the 17-year-old was a student at Burke and was charged with one count of aggravated sexual abuse of a school employee
Both she and the victim were taken to the hospital for treatment of minor injuries resulting from the accident.
Since the age of consent in Nebraska is 16, Ward was not charged with statutory rape, but faces a Class IIA felony charge with up to 20 years in prison.
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office announced it is working closely with Omaha Public Schools amid the ongoing investigation.
Burke’s principal, Darren Rasmussen, released a statement to community members following the news of Ward’s arrest.
“We are writing to advise that law enforcement has arrested a temporary worker in the metro area for inappropriate behavior with a minor,” he wrote.
‘The individual worked at Burke High several days during the 2023-24 school year. They will not return to our school or others in our district.
‘Our top priority is always the safety and well-being of the students we serve. We take that very seriously. Counselors will be available on Tuesday for students in need of support.’