Meredith Kane, a former Lawrence High School teacher, walks to court in July with her attorney, James Rumsey in this Journal-World file photo.

A former Lawrence teacher convicted of having sex with a male student has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, which inhibited her judgment, a psychologist testified Monday.

“She knew the behavior was not appropriate, but she was very caught up in the fantasy of love in terms of her approach to the relationship,” said Dr. Bruce Cappo, a Lenexa psychologist.

The victim, who is now 16, also suffers from the disorder, according to testimony.

Cappo took the stand during a sentencing hearing for Meredith L. Kane, 24, Monday afternoon in Douglas County District Court. He said Kane saw herself as someone who could help a student who also was having severe problems.

It led to their consensual sexual relationship that began in August 2006 and continued until officials discovered it in March.

Cappo’s testimony took most of the three-hour hearing, which will continue Dec. 17 and an attorney said will include the victim’s testimony.

Last year, Kane was in her first year of teaching at Lawrence High School. She pleaded guilty in July to one count of aggravated indecent liberties with a child. She faces a prison sentence of between five and 20 years, but her attorney, James Rumsey, has asked District Court Judge Stephen Six to consider a lesser sentence.

Cappo said Kane was diagnosed with a form of the disorder after she was arrested in March. He said that even when she appeared to be in a normal mood, the disorder could cause her to misinterpret social relationships and make impulsive decisions.

Details emerged about how the two first met – while Kane was a student teacher at Central Junior High School, where the boy was a student. When Kane was hired at LHS, she had trouble fitting in with fellow teachers, Cappo said, which caused her depression.

She saw being able to help the boy student as an important role she could fulfill, he said.

“Her judgment that she could help him was an impaired judgment by the bipolar disorder,” Cappo said.

But his parents and school officials raised concerns several times, in part, because the two were spending time together outside of school.

Both Kane and the boy became defensive and denied having a sexual relationship until charges eventually were filed in March. Cappo also said Kane and the boy saw themselves as equals, which would not characterize her as a pedophile. He also said after reviewing therapy notes in the victim’s records that he did not find “any harm described” from his participation in the relationship.

Six revoked Kane’s bond in August after prosecutors said she had violated a no-contact order and saw the boy after her guilty plea. A trial on the protective-order violation allegation is set for Nov. 7.