Two educators from St. Clair High School in Missouri have found themselves at the center of controversy after their involvement in adult entertainment on the website OnlyFans came to light. The situation unfolded when a student anonymously revealed being aware of one teacher’s activities on the site. Megan Gaither, a 31-year-old English teacher and varsity cheerleading coach, confirmed that financial pressures led her to create content for OnlyFans, a decision which resulted in her being placed on administrative leave.
Gaither’s venture into the adult site began in May as a means to manage her substantial student loan debt, reported to exceed $125,000. Despite earning approximately $47,500 last year, including a stipend for coaching, Gaither found it challenging to make ends meet, especially during the summer months when school is not in session.
The disclosure of Gaither’s online activities followed the resignation of her colleague, Brianna Coppage, who had also turned to OnlyFans to supplement her income. Coppage, formerly a freshman and sophomore English teacher, was earning around $42,000 annually before choosing to focus full-time on her newfound, lucrative OnlyFans career. According to reports, Coppage’s engagement in the adult content industry has garnered her close to $1 million.
Gaither stated that she initially kept her identity hidden on OnlyFans, hoping to maintain anonymity. However, her participation became public when a photo from an event appeared online, showing her in the same outfit as in one of the videos on Coppage’s page. The inadvertent exposure prompted students to suspect and eventually uncover her secret side job.
Addressing the issue, Gaither remarked that she had never anticipated her brief appearance in the video to jeopardize her teaching career. The revelation led her to deactivate her OnlyFans account, which had about 1,500 subscribers and was supplementing her income by $3,000 to $5,000 monthly.
Gaither and Coppage, who became friends, had initially been unaware of each other’s activities on OnlyFans. Their mutual discovery occurred casually during a conversation at a teachers’ event. Gaither spoke fondly of her students and her passion for teaching, expressing regret over the potential end of her career at the school. She emphasized her professional conduct and positive reviews from school officials, noting the school district cited “professionalism and student communication” as reasons for her leave.
School Superintendent Kyle Kruse declined to comment on the situation. Gaither, facing uncertainty about her teaching future, contemplated reactivating her OnlyFans account and relocating with her family. She speculated that other teachers might be facing similar financial struggles, leading them to consider similar avenues for additional income.