A  California art and photography teacher was found hanging from the ceiling of her classroom in what police believed to be a case of suicide, authorities said last Monday.

Reports said students of the El Dorado High School in Placentia arrived at their classroom Monday morning  and found the door locked.

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They then went next door and informed another  teacher about their locked classroom.

The teacher returned with the students and opened the door and saw arts teacher, 31-year-old Jillian Jacobson, hanging from the ceiling.

The school's staff members helped bring down Jillian's body and called 911,  Placentia police Lt. Eric Point said.

Paramedics arrived at the scene and performed CPR on Jacobson but was unable to revive her.

Point said no suicide note was found in the classroom but investigators have temporarily ruled that Jacobson took her own life.

"She appears to have committed suicide prior to the start of school at some point in time," he said.

Two of Jacobson's students reportedly went hysterical and stormed into the next classroom and ran towards the teacher.

The teacher ran out of class and wailed upon seeing Jacobson hanging in the classroom.

Reports said crisis counselors were immediately made available for the students after they were dismissed by school authorities at 11am.

Assistant School Superintendent Kevin Lee, of the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School Districts, said they plan to deploy a crisis intervention team on campus for the whole week to deal with distressed students following the tragic incident.

School authorities said Jacobson had taught at El Dorado since 2008. Jacobson held a bachelor's degree in ceramics and glass. She also had a Masters degree in  educational leadership.

In one of her posts on the website of an art camp at Fullerton,the popular and well-liked Jacobson said her goal was to bring the campers every summer  to love art and to create art that they will be proud of for the rest of their lives.

Students and teachers of El Dorado paid tribute to Jacobson and took to Twitter and Facebook  to relay their messages of  love, gratitude, and inspiration.

TagsEl Dorado High School