A special education teacher in suburban Chicago accused of an illicit relationship with a minor has put her marital home on the market and moved in with her parents after a judge ordered she remain at least 5,000 feet from the alleged victim.
Christina Formella, 30, listed the three-bedroom, two-bathroom Downers Grove house for $569,990 after a DuPage County judge denied her motion to reduce the required buffer zone to 2,500 feet. Prosecutors say the buffer was imposed after charges against Formella were upgraded earlier this year; Formella has denied the allegations.
DuPage County prosecutors have accused Formella of sending explicit text messages to the boy when he was 14 and of engaging in sexual contact more than 50 times after the relationship allegedly moved beyond messaging. She has been charged on at least 55 counts, including criminal sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual abuse, indecent solicitation of a child and grooming. Her arraignment and subsequent hearings have drawn media attention, and video of her arrest outside the home was widely circulated.
Court filings and prosecutors say much of the alleged activity took place at the school where Formella taught and coached soccer and at the Downers Grove residence, including in the backyard hot tub. Prosecutors say the physical relationship began in December 2023 when the boy was 15. The allegations first surfaced in March after the teenager’s mother discovered text messages on his phone, according to court records.
Formella has denied the charges. She has told authorities that some of the writings were part of therapeutic journaling and that sexual references were about her husband. She has also said she was the target of misogyny, according to previously reported remarks. Her husband, Michael Formella, has attended court hearings and has said he was unaware of the alleged conduct; court papers indicate the couple married last year.
At a recent hearing, Formella asked Judge Mia McPherson to reduce the buffer to 2,500 feet, arguing the teenager frequents the neighborhood and works nearby. The judge rejected the request, and Formella subsequently relocated to her parents' home, a property described in public records as being on a golf course and valued at about $560,000.
Real estate listing information and property records describe the Downers Grove house as about 1,430 square feet with hardwood floors, an updated kitchen with granite counters and recessed lighting, a living area with an LED fireplace, a family room with a brick gas fireplace, a cedar deck, private backyard and a hot tub. The listing indicated the lower level could be used as a gym, office or an ensuite apartment. A realtor handling the sale confirmed the couple planned to relocate, and an online listing showed the property had a contingent offer.
Prosecutors say the relationship began while Formella was tutoring the student privately after an injury sidelined him from sports. They say the exchanges moved from school messaging systems to text messages in which she allegedly made sexual comments and professed affection. The defense has disputed the characterization of the messages and the context of journal entries seized by authorities.
The case has highlighted questions about how communications between teachers and students are monitored and the protocols schools use when a staff member interacts privately with a student. School officials in the Downers Grove district have not commented publicly on the ongoing criminal case beyond confirming investigators and prosecutors are handling the matter.
Court schedules show Formella is expected to appear for future hearings as prosecutors prepare for trial. Her attorneys have not released detailed public statements addressing the specific allegations beyond general denials. Prosecutors contend their evidence supports the upgraded charges; defense lawyers have argued for her innocence or for the court to consider alternative explanations for the materials cited by investigators.
As the legal process continues, the Formellas appear to be seeking to distance themselves from the neighborhood where the alleged incidents occurred. The decision to list the house comes as the criminal case proceeds through pretrial stages and as public attention remains focused on allegations that a teacher abused her position of authority with a student.