Editing Mary Kay Letourneau (section)

== First marriage ==
While attending [[Arizona State University]] (ASU), Mary Schmitz met fellow student Steve Letourneau. She later found out she was pregnant by him, which had led to complications one day in class when she had to be rushed to the emergency room. Doctors found that she had been carrying twins, but one embryo was lost to miscarriage. Mary Kay gave birth to the surviving twin, the first of the couple's four children.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Chermak|first1=Steven |last2=Bailey |first2=Frankie Y. |title=Crimes of the Centuries: Notorious Crimes, Criminals, and Criminal Trials in American History [3 volumes] |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=li1ZCwAAQBAJ&q=Arizona+State+University,+Mary+Kay+Schmitz&pg=PA469|publisher=ABC-CLIO |access-date=April 5, 2017 |language=en |date=January 25, 2016 |isbn=9781610695947}}</ref> She later said that she was not in love with Steve, but she married him after being urged to do so by her parents. Steve also lacked romantic feelings but was also pressured by his parents and willing to marry. Both Steve and Mary Kay dropped out of ASU. The couple moved to [[Anchorage, Alaska]],<ref name="trutv2">{{cite book|last=Noe |first=Denise |title=Mary Kay Letourneau: The Romance that Was a Crime |chapter=Marrying Mr. Right Now |chapter-url=http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/criminal_mind/psychology/marykay_letourneau/4.html |via=TruTV.com Crime Library |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140107001549/http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/criminal_mind/psychology/marykay_letourneau/4.html |archive-date=January 7, 2014 }}</ref> where Steve found work as a baggage handler for [[Alaska Airlines]].<ref name="trutv2"/> After a year in Alaska, Steve was transferred to [[Seattle]], [[Washington (state)|Washington]], where Mary subsequently gave birth to their second child. Determined to get a career in education, Mary Kay enrolled in [[Seattle University]] and was awarded a teaching degree in 1989.<ref>{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=li1ZCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA469 | title=Crimes of the Centuries: Notorious Crimes, Criminals, and Criminal Trials in American History &#91;3 volumes&#93;: Notorious Crimes, Criminals, and Criminal Trials in American History| isbn=9781610695947| last1=Chermak| first1=Steven| last2=Bailey| first2=Frankie Y.| date=January 25, 2016| publisher=Abc-Clio}}</ref> She began teaching second grade at Shorewood Elementary School in the Seattle suburb of [[Burien, Washington|Burien]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Mary Kay Letourneau, teacher jailed for raping student, has died, report says|url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/mary-kay-letourneau-teacher-jailed-for-raping-student-has-died-report-says/|first=Elise|last=Takahama|date=July 7, 2020|access-date=July 7, 2020|newspaper=The Seattle Times}}</ref>

The Letourneaus' marriage suffered. They had financial problems, and each party engaged in multiple extramarital affairs.<ref name="trutv2"/> Her attorney and former neighbor, David Gehrke, said that she was "emotionally and physically abused by her husband" during their marriage, and twice "went to the hospital for treatment, and the police were called," although no charges were filed.<ref>{{cite news |last= Warrick |first= Pamela |title= The Fall from Spyglass Hill |work= Los Angeles Times |date= April 29, 1998 |access-date= October 22, 2009 |page= 6 |url= https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-apr-29-ls-45407-story.html}}</ref> In May 1999, they divorced while Mary was imprisoned, and Steve gained custody of their four children.<ref name="Spi-Alaska">{{cite news|first=Candy |last=Hatcher |title=Letourneau Can Profit from Story, Appeals Court Rules |url=http://www.seattlepi.com/local/mklet19.shtml |work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer |date=April 19, 2000 }}{{dead link|date=June 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> In 2010, the Letourneaus became grandparents when their eldest son had a daughter.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/mary-kay-letourneau-tours-nyc-modern-family-exclusive-article-1.2179793|title=Mary Kay Letourneau, Vili Fualaau and kids tour New York as modern family: Exclusive Photos |first=Nina|last=Golgowski|website=nydailynews.com|date=April 10, 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.inquisitr.com/96922/mary-kay-letourneau-becomes-a-grandmother/|title=Mary Kay Letourneau becomes a grandmother|website=inquisitr.com|date=January 5, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Peveteaux |first=April |date=January 28, 2011 |title=Mary Kay Letourneau Becomes Grandmother, Is Still Clueless |url=https://thestir.cafemom.com/politics_views/115541/mary_kay_letourneau_becomes_grandmother |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605170943/http://thestir.cafemom.com/politics_views/115541/mary_kay_letourneau_becomes_grandmother |archive-date=June 5, 2020 |access-date=February 6, 2019 |website=CafeMom}}</ref>