The husband of the Nebraska teacher accused of having sex with one of her students has been revealed as a Harvard-educated deputy at the Department of Defense.
Erin Ward, 45, was charged with one count of felony sexual abuse by a school employee after she was found naked with the high school boy, 17, in her husband’s car.
Now, DailyMail.com can reveal her husband is a high-ranking US government employee who has worked with the Department of Defense for nearly two decades.
William Douglas ‘Doug’ Ward, 53, was appointed Deputy Director of the Commander’s Action Group and Senior Nuclear Deterrence Advisor at the United States Strategic Command in February.
His LinkedIn shows he worked with the Strategic Command since 2005 and initially served as a Deputy Branch Chief.
The husband of Nebraska substitute teacher Erin Ward has been revealed as Doug Ward, 53, a U.S. Department of Defense employee
Ward, 45, was arrested Saturday morning after Douglas County Sheriff’s deputies found her naked inside a car with a 17-year-old student
The couple’s daughter, a 10th grader, is around the same age as the boy Ward sexually abused
The Strategic Command, which is headquartered in Omaha, is a military unit that detects and deters attacks against the country and its allies.
In addition to his impressive job title, Doug graduated from the Harvard Extension School in 2021 with a master’s degree in political science and government.
The father of three posted a photo dressed in his cap and gown to X, formerly Twitter, as he attended a virtual graduation ceremony during the pandemic.
‘I graduated today!’ he proclaimed, accompanied by the hashtag ‘#couchcommencement’.
The couple share a home in Gretna, just outside Omaha, with their three teenage children.
Their adopted daughter is a 10th grade student around the same age as the boy Ward is charged with abusing.
The couple’s children feature prominently on their social media pages, where they laud their academic achievements.
Doug liked several tweets denouncing child sexual abuse within the Catholic Church in 2017, in between photos of his kids and retweets from his wife’s page.
Doug graduated from the Harvard Extension School in 2021 with a master’s degree in political science and government
The father of three was appointed Deputy Director of the Commander’s Action Group with the United States Strategic Command in February
Ward (center) was a substitute teacher at several Omaha-area schools include Omaha Burke High School
In November, Ward posted a picture of keys, a printed schedule and a Omaha Burke High School lanyard on her profile.
‘Absolutely the best school as a guest school teacher,’ she wrote. ‘Favorite building to teach at…love when I get to be a bulldog.’
The 45-year-old worked as a substitute teacher at several metro area schools. It was at Burke she met the teenage boy with whom she was found in the early-morning hours of April 13.
Around 3 a.m., Douglas County deputies were called to investigate a suspicious car parked on a dead-end road.
There, they found Ward and the victim inside a Honda Pilot ‘determined to be owned by Ward and her spouse,’ the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a press release.
The 17-year-old jumped into the drivers seat and sped off in the SUV, crashing into a yard two blocks away. He then fled on foot, wearing only a t-shirt, boxers and socks, and was found about an hour later.
Ward was getting dressed in the back seat when deputies approached.
They recovered an Omaha Public Schools employee ID from inside the car. Ward confirmed she was a substitute teacher at Burke, where the teen was enrolled, and admitted to having sexual intercourse with him.
In November, Ward posted a photo of a schedule and a Burke High School lanyard to X, formerly Twitter, professing it was ‘the best school’
Doug (second from left) and Erin Ward (far right) have three children together, two sons and a daughter
The couple and their kids live in Gretna, a city just outside Omaha
Police recovered an Omaha Public Schools ID from the car where Ward and the boy were found. She admitted that the 17-year-old was a student at Burke and was charged with one count of felony sexual abuse by a school employee
Both she and the victim were taken to the hospital to treat minor injuries stemming from the crash.
As the age of consent in Nebraska is 16, Ward was not charged with statutory rape, but faces a Class IIA felony charge carrying up to 20 years in prison.
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office announced that it is working closely with Omaha Public Schools amid the ongoing investigation.
Burke’s principal, Darren Rasmussen, released a statement to members of the community following news of Ward’s arrest.
‘We are writing to share that law enforcement has arrested a metro-area substitute teacher for inappropriate conduct with a minor,’ he wrote.
‘The individual worked at Burke High several days during the 2023-24 school year. They will not be returning to our school or any others in our district.
‘Our top priority is always the safety and well-being of the students we serve. We take this most seriously. Counselors will be available on Tuesday for students in need of support.’