Ex-North Kansas City teacher investigated for sexual encounters with student at school
A former North Kansas City teacher and coach is under investigation for alleged sexual encounters with a student, mostly on school property, according to search warrants.
Police said that on Dec. 13, an 18-year-old Oak Park High School senior reported to school staff that she had inappropriate sexual contact with a 35-year-old male teacher. School staff then reported the incident to law enforcement.
District administration placed the teacher on leave and seized his school-issued electronic devices. North Kansas City school board documents show that the teacher resigned on Jan. 25.
North Kansas City district spokeswoman Susan Hiland said the teacher was employed at Oak Park from August 2016 through January. He worked as a science teacher, track coach and assistant football coach.
The Star is not yet naming the teacher because he had not been criminally charged as of Tuesday. On May 3, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office submitted a statement of probable cause in the case to the prosecutor’s office, which will review it and determine whether to file charges, spokeswoman Sarah Boyd said.
According to police, the student reported to school administrators that she had 14 sexual encounters with the teacher, most of which were on school property, and that the teacher had provided her money to purchase a contraceptive pill.
The student reported that what began as a casual relationship with the teacher last March escalated into sexual encounters in the fall. The teacher also exchanged messages of a sexual nature, according to police.
Police state in the search warrants that video surveillance footage shows the teacher and student together on campus outside of school hours.
Two search warrants executed in December sought the collection of evidence from the school-issued electronic devices as well as a Snapchat account.
Under Missouri law, it is a felony for a teacher to have a sexual relationship with a student.
In a statement, Hiland said that the North Kansas City district “outlines expectations in accordance with Board policy for all staff and works hard to ensure our students have a safe learning environment. Anything less will not be tolerated. We are working with our law enforcement partners during this investigation.”
This story was originally published May 10, 2022 at 4:26 PM.
