Former Morro Bay teacher wins appeal, avoids jail time

September 30, 2021

BY JOSH FRIEDMAN

A former Morro Bay High School teacher who had been sentenced to four months in jail for sexual offenses involving underage students will instead serve his time in home detention, following a ruling on Wednesday.

Tyler Andree, now 25, was a chemistry teacher and girls’ swimming coach at Morro Bay High School, where he worked from Aug. 2019 to Jan. 2021. On at least one occasion in 2020, Andree had sexual intercourse with one of his female students, who at the time, was 17 years old. Later in 2020, Andree sent messages communicating explicit sexual intent to another 17-year-old female student.

In June, Andree pleaded no contest to unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor and contact with a minor for a sexual offense. As part of a plea agreement, prosecutors dismissed two counts of child molestation and one count of contact with a minor for a sexual offense.

Then in July, a judge sentenced Andree to 120 days in jail, as well as two years of supervised felony probation. Additionally, Andree must register as a sex offender.

But in the aftermath of his sentencing hearing, Andree applied to serve his sentence as part of the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office home detention program. Home detention is available to individuals sentenced to 20 days or more in jail who are deemed non-violent and low-risk.

The sheriff’s office initially denied Andree’s application. But, Andree appealed the denial and succeeded in overturning the sheriff’s office’s initial decision.

During a probation modification hearing on Wednesday, Judge Jacquelyn Duffy formally granted Andree’s request for home detention.

Andree had been scheduled to surrender for his jail sentence on Sept. 22, but that order was stayed because of the probation modification proceedings. Andree will now coordinate with the sheriff’s office on the start of his home detention, which is expected to occur within the next 60 days.