NEWFANE - Accusations of an alleged relationship between Windham County Sheriff's Capt. Heidi Nelson and a 17-year-old student will be investigated internally and criminally, Sheriff Keith Clark announced at a news conference Monday afternoon.

According to Clark, officials at Brattleboro Union High School, where Nelson serves as a student resource officer and teaches a law enforcement class at the Career Center, heard about the accusations Friday morning and alerted him.

Clark announced that he will conduct a thorough investigation as to whether Nelson violated ethics policies for the department and that the Vermont State Police would investigate whether there was any criminal wrongdoing.

Nelson will be on administrative leave with pay until the investigations are complete.

She is also on leave from her teaching position at the school, Windham Southeast Superintendent Ron Stahley said Monday.