A former Ohio high school teacher who was caught sexually abusing a 15-year-old student in a car has pleaded guilty to child sex crimes. The teacher avoided a harsher sentencing with a plea deal.

Jamelah Daboubi — a former English teacher at Horizon Science Academy in Columbus — pleaded guilty to amended charges of gross sexual imposition and unlawful sexual conduct with a minor in Franklin County Common Pleas Court in February, according to WBNS-TV.

‘As of now, the individual is no longer employed at Horizon Science Academy.’

The affidavit noted that the victim attends Horizon Science Academy and that he was a student in Daboubi’s class.

On April 2, 2025, officers with the Columbus Police Department responded to a report of a woman who claimed to have “caught her 15-year-old nephew and one of his 10th-grade teachers engaged in sexual contact in the teacher’s car,” the Franklin County Prosecuting Office said in a statement released in June 2025.

According to court records obtained by the Columbus Dispatch, the aunt of the teen approached the vehicle and saw her nephew in the passenger seat and Daboubi “jump off of” his lap.

Court documents revealed, “He stated while they were in the car, they kissed, Mrs. Daboubi grinded on him, and he had touched her breasts and buttocks over her clothing.”

The prosecutor’s office said, “The nephew, whom the woman has guardianship over, admitted to police that he and his teacher had been having a relationship that involved kissing and touching.”

The victim informed investigators that he and his 28-year-old teacher “had been texting for a couple of months and engaging in sexual activity for a period of time,” according to the statement.

Prosecutors said police discovered “hundreds of phone calls and thousands of texts between the two, including texts where the two professed their love for each other.”

The Columbus Dispatch reported that the Horizon Science Academy sent a letter to parents in May 2025 regarding the accusations against the teacher after her arrest on May 18, 2025.

“As of now, the individual is no longer employed at Horizon Science Academy,” the letter stated. “At this time, we have no indication of any other concerns involving this individual and any other students, either on or off campus.”

Thanks to her plea deal, Daboubi avoided a lengthy prison sentence. Daboubi was indicted on two counts of sexual battery in June, but the charges were amended.

The below news video ran when Daboubi was charged last year.

RELATED: Teacher who left claw marks on underage student’s back after sex romp gets sweetheart plea deal

WBNS reported that the amended charges of gross sexual imposition and unlawful sexual conduct with a minor carry a maximum sentence of 18 months in prison.

The court’s sentencing recommendation is five years of community control, ongoing counseling, and community service, in addition to the surrender of her professional teaching credentials.

Daboubi must also register as a Tier II sex offender as part of her guilty plea.

Daboubi is awaiting a sentencing hearing.

The Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office did not immediately respond to Blaze News‘ request for comment.

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You’ve probably heard, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” It’s catchy, but not new. Long before this became a mantra, Scripture was teaching this same truth, but with more spiritual weight.

Jesus modeled healthy, intentional friendships. He was deliberate about who he let into his inner circle. It wasn’t luck or happenstance. He chose with intention.

How often do we talk ourselves into friendships we shouldn’t have — with people we don’t even like?

Close friends can make or break you, and even more importantly, they can shape the trajectory of your life. Proverbs 13:20 goes beyond advice; it offers a clear strategy: Choose friends wisely, or risk being shaped by fools.

Science backs this up. Friendships influence career choices, health decisions, and spiritual well-being. Yet in modern society, close friendships are declining. Scholars now call it a “friendship recession.” Only 17% of Americans under 30 say they feel deeply connected to a community, according to a 2025 Harvard Kennedy School poll. In 1990, about 3% of Americans said they had no close friends; today, that number has reached double digits. Over the past three decades, meaningful, close friendships have sharply diminished.

If you want good friends who are truly in your corner, consider these key principles.

Pick friends like Jesus did: Quality over quantity

Jesus loved and ministered to countless people, but He invested deeply in only a few during his short but impactful life. He intentionally structured His relationships. The Gospels show Him teaching and healing crowds, sending out the 72 in ministry, and handpicking 12 disciples. Within that circle, He maintained an inner trio of Peter, James, and John, who witnessed pivotal historical events like the Transfiguration and the Garden of Gethsemane.

It would have been easier for Him to rub shoulders with the “frat boys” of his time — the good ol’ Pharisees. After all, they weren’t poor, lowly fishermen. The Pharisees were admired, influential, and outwardly “holy.” People wanted their approval; they regarded them as “prestigious.” I’m sure they wore fancy clothes and had the best things money could buy. But Jesus had nothing to do with them. He avoided their rotten influence, interacting only when necessary to answer their relentless, pesky questions.

Jesus didn’t chase popularity or status. He didn’t measure influence by who was “in” or who had the loudest voice in the room. Instead, he focused on people who were teachable, loyal, and aligned with His mission. His friendships were rooted in character and purpose instead of appearance or social standing. As 1 Corinthians 15:33 warns: “Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character.’”

He surrounded Himself with people who, while imperfect, were willing to be challenged, changed, and called higher. He didn’t just preach to the multitudes, He walked closely with 12, poured deeply into three, and entrusted the future of the church to them. Think of all the long walks Jesus took with His disciples. Walking on foot from places like Galilee to Jerusalem was roughly a three- to five-day commute. On these journeys, Jesus used them to teach and disciple and build meaningful relationships. Nothing went to waste.

His choice of who to do life with wasn’t random; it was strategic and spiritually essential. Jesus modeled a clear principle in both friendship and kingdom-building: quality over quantity. Following Jesus’ example, we can intentionally choose friends while also becoming the kind of friend others need.

RELATED: Love one another: What the first Christians can teach us about fellowship

Francis G. Mayer/Getty Images

Want great friends? Start by being one

Before we can choose good friends, we must first be one. Jesus modeled the qualities of a high-caliber friend: loyalty, integrity, truthfulness, and love.

Scripture also offers examples —both good and bad. David and Jonathan embody loyalty and sacrifice. Mary and Elizabeth show a friendship rooted in faith and mutual support. Daniel and his friends strengthen one another and stand firm in conviction, even in captivity.

By contrast, Job’s friends accuse rather than comfort. Judas betrays. King Rehoboam rejects wise counsel in favor of foolish peers, dividing a kingdom.

Jonathan, though heir to the throne, chose covenant over envy in his friendship with David. Elizabeth welcomed Mary with joy rather than jealousy, despite the circumstances. Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego remained faithful under pressure, putting God above comfort, safety, and status.

These friendships share a common thread: character. They refused envy, ego, and compromise — even when justified by the world’s standards. Quality people attract quality friends.

We must cultivate these kinds of relationships, doing the inner work to become the kind of friend we hope to have.

Exercise the muscle of rejection

I’m a people person. Making friends has always come easily — but like most of us, I had to learn that not every friendship is worth keeping.

As a teenager, I desperately wanted to fit in with the “cool kids.” When I was invited to sit at their lunch table, I thought, “I’ve made it.” But after one regretful meal — filled with gossip, cruelty, and shallow conversation — I felt immediate buyer’s remorse. I didn’t go back.

Instead, I sat with my brothers and their friends — or alone. I realized that solitude is far better than compromising your character to belong. It may be lonelier, even uncomfortable, but it protects your integrity and spiritual health.

That’s what I mean by exercising the “muscle of rejection.”

How often do we talk ourselves into friendships we shouldn’t have — with people we don’t even like? Maybe they’re popular, well connected, professionally useful, or simply convenient.

But relationships built on convenience, obligation, or fear of confrontation dilute your inner circle. Over time, they shape your habits, attitudes, and decisions — often in ways you won’t notice until years later.

As my father-in-law likes to say (quoting Kenny Rogers): “Know when to hold ’em and know when to fold ’em.” Wisdom — and the discernment of the Holy Spirit — must guide these decisions. Not every connection is meant to last, and not every relationship deserves a front-row seat in your life.

For parents, this is even more critical. The friends we choose don’t just influence us — they shape our children’s worldview. Choosing wisely isn’t optional; it’s part of guiding the next generation.

Intentionality matters

Friends don’t show up on your doorstep; you have to put in the work. Gather people, host events, and create the opportunities you wish existed. Be the friend you wish you had. Seek relationships that are teachable, loyal, and mission-aligned. Choosing friends with discernment is not harshness; it’s stewardship. It’s about protecting your spiritual well-being, your family, and your calling. Jesus’ life shows us that strategic, purposeful friendships are not optional; they are foundational to living well and carrying out faithfulness.

Your inner circle will shape your mindset, your mission, and your life trajectory. Cultivate friendships with intention. Be ruthless. Reject the shallow and the convenient. Surround yourself with people who strengthen your faith, challenge your growth, and share your values. Exercise the muscle of rejection, and watch your life, and the lives of those around you, grow deeper and richer.

​Abide, Friendship, Jesus, Christian living, Fellowship, Lifestyle, Faith 

Most Christians see the New Age movement’s deep ties to occultism and witchcraft and recognize it as a demonic worldview. But there’s an adjacent movement that, despite its inextricable connection to New Age, is packaged as a Christian belief system.

That movement is called New Thought. It’s a spiritual movement that influenced New Ageism that centers on how the power of the mind shapes reality — emphasizing positive thinking, the law of attraction, mental healing, the divine nature of humanity, and the idea that Infinite Intelligence or God is within all things and accessible through right thinking.

This is the movement author and Christian apologist Melissa Dougherty found herself in before she became a true Christian.

On this episode of “Unashamed,” Melissa unpacks the good-sounding but ultimately evil mechanics of the New Thought movement that has millions of people duped into thinking they’re Christians.

“If I were to define New Thought in two words, it would be metaphysical Christianity. All that means is that everything that you see physically has a spiritual counterpart, including words,” Melissa says.

Instead of reading Scripture in its proper historical context to decipher what’s being communicated, New Thought, she explains, positions the reader as “the arbiter.”

“You’re the one that interprets it on how it feels to you and what it means to you. Because metaphysically speaking, truth is found from within, not outside of yourself, because God is in you,” she says. “So it’s a subjective interpretation. … There’s a higher, deeper, esoteric, hidden meaning within that text that’s meant for you.”

Melissa boils down the movement into one simple concept: “It’s the positive thinking movement in America with Jesus as its mascot.”

People in this movement believe that they “create [their] reality” through cognition. “Sickness, poverty, things like that are all a state of mind. How you feel creates your reality,” Melissa says.

This results in a lot of “distortion of truth,” she laments. For example, “there’s a saying in New Thought that when you look in the mirror, there’s a god staring back at you, and that’s the secret … of what Jesus was really trying to say.”

While this “sounds really good,” Melissa says, it’s a lie. That’s why she titled her book “Happy Lies” — because it shines a true biblical light on the positive-sounding but heretical New Thought movement.

“It duped me,” she confesses.

To hear more, watch the full episode above.

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Legendary boxer Floyd Mayweather, 49, is set to come out of retirement and re-enter the professional ring after a bout against Mike Tyson this spring. According to his official statement, he “still [has] what it takes to set more records,” but in the sports media world, rumors are swirling that “Money” Mayweather is actually just broke.

“All across social media, there are rumors and stories coming out about Floyd Mayweather — him auctioning off property, him being in bankruptcy, him being out of money, and that’s why he’s going to fight Mike Tyson,” BlazeTV host Jason Whitlock says.

He displays a tweet from Richard Allison that captures the wildest claims about Mayweather’s lavish spending habits:

“He’s blown it all. And now at 49 years old, he’s got to go back into the boxing ring and continue to fight because he’s in a lot of debt,” Whitlock says.

There’s a way to enjoy the fruit of one’s labor without allowing it to consume you, he argues, pointing to basketball GOAT Michael Jordan as the best example.

“Michael Jordan didn’t want to be relatable; [he] wanted to be helpful and have a good time. You can do both. Michael Jordan has played golf everywhere; he’s gambled everywhere, but he’s also taken time to be helpful,” Whitlock says, pointing to the four family medical clinics Jordan has opened in North Carolina specifically for uninsured or underinsured patients.

Mayweather, on the other hand, has only been “living for the culture,” he says.

“The culture doesn’t reward anybody. It steals and destroys. … Don’t be Floyd Mayweather.”

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Democrats are currently on track to take the House of Representatives in the 2026 midterms. If this happens, they will empower resistance bureaucrats to slow down all Trump administration initiatives. Of course, they’ll not only impeach Trump, but will also pursue impeachment proceedings against many Trump officials. This will substantially drain momentum from the administration and increase it for Democrats heading into the crucial 2028 presidential election.

The Democrats are already putting together plans, formulating a narrative, and accumulating evidence, which they will use against Republicans should they retake power. We’ve seen this movie before.

Since the billionaires do not know how to wield their potential power, they have become targets.

The Marxist machine has had time to learn from its mistakes during 2020-2024. The Democrats will likely pursue criminal prosecution against key targets in the MAGA orbit, including big donors like Elon Musk, the DOGE bros, and even junior Trump staffers. We’ve already seen in Arctic Frost an effort to spy on sitting Republican United States senators — they’ll be on the target list, too.

This is power. Force is power. Politics is the management of force. For his tech-oriented publication Pirate Wires, Mike Solana recently published “Theory of Power,” which outlines how the left will replicate California’s wealth tax to target billionaires nationwide. He believes that the left is targeting billionaires because wealth is power. He’s half right.

Wealth itself is not power — it is the means to power. The left seeks to redistribute the wealth of the billionaire class to the people living in America in exchange for power. Leftists are not targeting the billionaires because their wealth poses a threat to the left’s power — they want to seize the power of that wealth for themselves. Since the billionaires do not know how to wield their potential power, they have become targets. If they did, the California wealth tax wouldn’t even be an issue.

Wealth cannot protect its holder from force. If politics is the management of force, then political influence is power. There are plenty of people with political influence and no wealth who have more power than billionaires. There are 20-something political staffers who have more political power than billionaires. There is a legion of bureaucrats with more political power than billionaires. Who has more power, a billionaire or the IRS lawyer investigating him? Of course, it’s the IRS lawyer, because the IRS lawyer is backed by regime power.

The billionaire class has largely abdicated regime power — the question of who is in charge — with a few notable exceptions, such as Elon Musk’s 2024 election engagement and purchase of Twitter. The wealthy are quite good at influencing politics for their discreet business interests, with one analysis finding that they receive a 220-times return on investment through their lobbying efforts (other analyses attribute the rise in corporate profits to lobbying).

However, regime politics is not fundamentally about lobbying for an appropriation or a carve-out in the tax code, which puts generating wealth above gaining political power. Machiavelli warned against this in “The Prince”:

And, on the contrary, it is seen that when princes have thought more of ease than of arms, they have lost their states. And the first cause of your losing it is to neglect this art.

Wielding political influence for higher corporate profits to buy another jet or a fifth vacation home is thinking of ease more than of arms.

If politics is the management of force, then political influence is the “arms.” The billionaires are on track to lose their “state,” because they’ve neglected the art of influencing regime politics.

RELATED: The case against ‘principled conservatism’

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For all its faults, the left understands regime politics. Billionaire wealth extraction is just one part of its plan to sustain and deepen its regime-level power. If its only opposition, the MAGA political class, is destroyed by regime politics, the left’s wealth extraction scheme is not only inevitable, but it will also be the least of the billionaires’ worries.

All of this means that right-aligned billionaires should move immediately to gain regime-level political influence. To be clear, wealth can be a strong amplifier of political influence. Still, political influence has a simple recipe: It requires access, credibility, leverage, and the ability to change behavior. In other words, donating to campaigns is not enough. Elected officials must be lobbied to act in the interest of those who support them, or someone else will lobby them for their own interests.

Before a politician is elected, the benefactor has the leverage. But once the politician has regime-level power, the benefactor is subject to the beneficiary’s power. If right-wing billionaires want to survive what’s coming, they must have a well-run machine to influence politicians after they are elected. Solana makes this point — with which I fully agree: They must “respond as if [their lives depend] on it, because my reading of what these people are saying, casually, cheerfully, and increasingly out loud, is…it does.”

But power is fickle. Any billionaires who wield political influence strictly for their own benefit rather than on behalf of the people will find themselves burdened with all the paranoia and stress of a tyrant. To that end, Xenophon’s “On Tyranny” provides relevant advice: “Consider the fatherland to be your estate, the citizens your comrades, friends your own children, your sons the same as your life, and try to surpass all these in benefactions. For if you prove superior to your friends in beneficence, your enemies will be utterly unable to resist you.”

Editor’s note: This article appeared originally at the American Mind.

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