BATON ROUGE, La. -- A 27-year-old art teacher was arrested and placed on leave for allegedly having sex with a 15-year-old student, authorities said.

Kesha Denna Manuel, of Baton Rouge, was placed on administrative leave Tuesday from her teaching job at Belaire High School She was booked on one count of carnal knowledge of a juvenile. If convicted she would face up to 10 years in jail.

Manuel and the 15-year-old boy frequently exchanged letters during the school day, and on Oct. 20 they met off-campus and had sexual intercourse, said Keith Bates, spokesman for the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office.

According to an affidavit, Manuel admitted to a deputy she became attracted to the teenage boy, passing him notes and allowing him to kiss and fondle her in her classroom during free periods. She also admitted that on Oct. 20, the two met at a public library and had sex in a stall in the women's restroom, the affidavit says.

Manuel was released from Parish Prison on Wednesday on $15,000 bond. She does not have a listed telephone number.

Chris Trahan, spokesman for the parish school system, said the boy's father complained a few weeks ago about the matter to Belaire High Principal Robert Webb. Webb questioned the teacher and student; both denied the accusation, but the principal transferred the 15-year-old out of Manuel's class, Trahan said.

On Tuesday, at least one teacher discovered that Manuel and the student were exchanging notes and alerted Webb. School officials obtained a copy of at least one of the notes and confronted the teacher and student, Trahan said.

The Sheriff's Office booked Manuel after conducting its own interviews of the teacher and the student.