By Snejana Farberov

PUBLISHED: 18:41 EST, 2 July 2013 | UPDATED: 19:34 EST, 2 July 2013

A 28-year-old teacher from Southern California has been arrested for allegedly having sex with a 16-year-old high student after police say she gave birth to a baby he had fathered. 

Laura Elizabeth Whitehurst was taken into custody just before 9pm Monday after being questioned at her Redlands home.

The 28-year-old, who teaches 10th-grade  English at Citrus Valley High School, faces a charge of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor. She was released from jail after posting $25,000 Monday night.

According to the Redlands Police Department, Whitehurst's underage lover was 16 years old during their year-long relationship, which allegedly started last summer.

The mother of the alleged victim, who is now 17 years ago, somehow became aware of the affair between her son and his teacher and notified the Redlands United School District, which in turn contacted police. 

The 28-year-old woman gave birth to a child June 18, and police say her former student is the father.

Since her arrest Monday evening, Whitehurst had been placed on administrative leave.

‘Nothing is as important to us as the safety of our students and the District takes this arrest very seriously. We are fully cooperating with police in their investigation of this matter,’ Assistant School Superintendent Sabine Robertson-Phillips said.

The educator graduated from Redlands East Valley High School and taught English to sophomores at Citrus Valley, where she was also a Link Crew adviser and a Compact Careers Club adviser, according to reporting from The Redlands Daily Facts. 

In 2010, Whitehurst was also an assistant soccer coach. She previously was a volunteer soccer coach for AYSO in Redlands.

The news blog PE.com reported that Whitehurst's father, Dale Whitehurst, has served as principal of Brywn Mawr Elementary and Moore Middle schools in Redlands.

He also worked as assistant principal at Redlands Easy Valley high School.