Kaitlin Pearson—the Teacher’s Aide on Leave for Racy Photos—Is Back at Work

A Fitchburg special needs teacher’s aide that was put on administrative leave after school officials were mailed a package containing racy modeling photos plucked from the employee’s Facebook and Instagram accounts is heading back to the classroom.

On Tuesday, Fitchburg Superintendent Andre Ravenelle said that Kaitlin Pearson, who was forced by the school to take a paid leave of absence, was notified that she could return to work effective immediately.

The decision to allow Pearson to come back to perform her duties as a teacher’s aide at the South Street Elementary School followed an investigation into whether or not her out-of-work career as a semi-nude model for magazines and online publications interfered with her ability to work with children each day.

“We are confident that she will bring the same level of commitment to her job and her students that she always has,” the statement from the school said.

On Tuesday, Pearson reportedly picked up where she left off after initially being asked to step aside from her full-time teaching role while the school looked into the matter earlier this month.

The 23-year-old, who was recently voted “Model of the Year” and has been photographed in scenes with other nearly naked women, advertises her services as a non-nude model through a Facebook fan page, which boasts more than 7,000 fans, and sites like ModelMayhem.com.

When she was first put on leave, Pearson didn’t speak publicly about the ordeal, which made international headlines and featured stories with her modeling photos attached. She did, however, post an Instagram photo stating that she wasn’t letting the school’s original decision get her down.

As of her reinstatement on Tuesday, Pearson has not come forward to talk about what happened, but a message attached to one of her Instagram posts dated January 27, the day she was notified that she could come back to work, read: “Back in action!”