Illinois Teacher Christina Formella Kept New Husband in the Dark About Shocking Affair With Teen Student, Court Documents

Illinois teacher named Christina Formella has been accused of engaging in a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old student. The situation took a bizarre turn when Formella claimed to law enforcement that the boy was a "stalker" and insisted that her new husband was fully aware of the alleged obsession. However, court documents reveal that her husband, Michael Formella, was completely unaware of the situation.

Christina, 30, hails from Downers Grove, a suburb of Chicago. The allegations suggest that she had a months-long relationship with the teenager, which reportedly culminated in sexual encounters within a classroom setting. According to prosecutors in DuPage County, Formella attempted to downplay the seriousness of the situation by portraying the boy as infatuated with her due to her looks.

During her police interview, Formella insisted that her husband was informed about the boy's supposed fixation. However, Michael Formella, who married Christina last summer—approximately six months after the alleged abuse—told detectives that he knew nothing about the student beyond his role as a soccer player.

Prosecutors uncovered troubling diary entries on Formella's phone, where she seemed to shift blame onto the teenager for "ruining" her marriage. In one entry, she expressed frustration, stating, "I went back and screen shotted every single time that I said we should break up until after the wedding and after you graduated. And every single fking time you came back and convinced me it would be fine, YOU ruined us." This admission raises questions about her state of mind and the dynamics of her relationship with the student.

In another entry, she lamented, "I’m fking mad I let a 16-year-old fk with me like that … in the end, we both lost. You lost the girl who would have stuck with you through thick and thin." Despite her apparent anger, she also expressed a desire for the boy to reconnect with her, writing, "We WILL be in each other’s lives forever. We will be able to love each other while also living our own lives."

The alleged incidents took place in December 2023, when Formella was a 28-year-old soccer coach and special education teacher at Downers Grove High School. Initially, she had been the boy's soccer coach and began providing him with private tutoring sessions. Prosecutors claim that their communication quickly escalated into inappropriate conversations, ultimately leading to sexual encounters in a classroom.

The affair came to light when the boy's mother discovered text messages on his phone from Formella, in which she professed her love and detailed their sexual encounters. One particularly alarming message read, "I love having sex with you."

After her arrest, Formella alleged that the boy had planted the messages on her phone in an attempt to "blackmail" her, claiming it was due to her attractiveness. Despite her accusations of stalking, prosecutors noted that Formella never reported any inappropriate behavior to school officials or the boy's parents. Furthermore, investigators found shirtless photos of the boy on her phone, along with text messages where she frequently mentioned him.

While Formella initially denied any sexual activity, she later admitted to having a relationship with the student. According to court documents, she acknowledged that she knew the relationship was wrong but felt unable to end it because of her feelings for him.

Formella explained to investigators that her diary entries were merely an outlet for her anxiety, and any references to sexual activity were about her husband. Despite the serious nature of the charges against her, prosecutors requested that she be denied pretrial release. However, she was released under the condition that she refrain from entering school grounds or having contact with anyone under the age of 18.

Facing two counts of aggravated criminal sexual assault, Formella is scheduled to appear in court on April 14. She began her teaching career at Downers Grove in 2020 and has since been placed on paid leave from her position.

Before her teaching career, Formella was an athlete, playing soccer at Main South High School in Park Ridge and later at Concordia University, where she met her husband. Photos from their recent wedding depict a joyful couple dancing and celebrating with friends and family.

In a surreal twist, Formella was pulled over by police while driving with her husband, who appeared confused and bewildered by the unfolding situation. As officers detained her, he asked, "Is she going somewhere?"—a poignant moment that underscores the shock and disbelief surrounding these allegations.