Erica DePalo, a 33-year-old New Jersey teacher, was arrested last week for having a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old male student.

Authorities from the West Orange, N.J., police department said the relationship between DePalo and her honors English student began on July 15 and ended last Tuesday.

The teacher faces charges of first-degree aggravated sexual assault, second-degree sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child. After her arrest Friday night, a Superior Court judge set DePalo's bail at $100,000.

The West Orange Public School district said in a statement that DePalo had been "immediately and indefinitely" suspended from the school after her sexual relationship with the student came to light.

DePalo won the Teacher of the Year award in Essex County, N.J., in 2011, and sources said the school was shocked to learn of her conduct with a student.

One pupil from the West Orange school said the student body was blindsided by the story.

"I was kind of shocked," Arnold Ajondo said. "I was a little surprised. She was really close with the students and we all liked her. She was always there after school if you ever needed any help."

DePalo is only the most recent teacher to make news for inappropriate contact with a student. Just last month, Texas teacher Brittni Colleps was sentenced to five years in prison after she had group sex with five students, one of whom filmed the tryst on a cell phone camera.