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RANDOLPH, Rich County — A longtime teacher and coach at Rich High School has been served with a termination notice after accusations surfaced of inappropriate sexual relations with a student more than a decade ago.
A girl who went to the school 16 years ago, who was a junior or senior at the time, recently came forward with allegations of sexual misconduct, according to Heidi Alder, an attorney for the Rich County School District.
Both the teacher and the student were interviewed, Alder said. Although the alleged illegal activity happened only once, district officials believe that inappropriate communication between the two went on for a couple of years.
The Rich County School Board held an emergency meeting Saturday night to discuss the situation and served the teacher with a termination notice on Monday. He can appeal if he wants to, she said.
The teacher has been with the school for 22 years, teaching social studies and acting as a counselor during that time in addition to coaching.
Alder said the district does not believe there were any other victims.
It was unknown Monday whether criminal charges could still be filed against the man. He has not been arrested. But Alder said there is no statute of limitations for the school district to take administrative action.
"The district takes this very seriously no matter the time frame," she said.
The teacher has been placed on unpaid administrative leave pending the outcome of his termination process. He did not return messages on Monday for comment.
