LORAIN, Ohio — A teacher at Lorain High School is being investigated for an alleged inappropriate phone call with a student, the Lorain Police Department confirmed to 3News.
According to the Lorain City School District, the teacher in question tendered his resignation effective on Wednesday, April 26.
Lorain police tell 3News that it was contacted on April 11 and has received a video of a recorded phone conversation between a current female student at Lorain High School and a male teacher. The recorded conversation includes inappropriate comments that are sexual in nature and discussion of the teacher visiting the student’s home.
Police confirmed that the teacher has had the female as a student in the past. 3News is not naming the teacher at this time as charges have yet to be filed. An investigation is underway and will be presented to the county prosecutor once finished.
In an earlier message sent to staff, the school district said that it was aware of a video circulating on social media from a student and that the situation was being taken seriously and handled in a manner consistent with the district's policies.
3News spoke to the student at the center of the recorded phone call. She said the call was not the first time he had made inappropriate remarks to her. “He tried to meet up with me several times out of school and I would say, ‘No! No! No!’”
The student said she called the teacher in front of her friends to prove that he would often make inappropriate comments to her, including asking her to sleep with him. 3News is not naming the student to protect her identity.
“It’s disgusting and it’s just the generation we live in now,” she said.
The student also said she didn’t intend for the video to get out on social media but added that she’s glad it did so people would find out about the teacher.
The student said she showed the video to police and school district officials.
“I told them everything that happened from when I first met him until now. It was just always him being weird, video calling us," she explained.
Her mom said she was not aware of inappropriate comments the teacher had made to her daughter until after the video surfaced and the school called her.
“A student should not be giving kids a phone number and he should not be flirting with kids,” she said, adding that she's just glad that the teacher is not currently at the school.
“The teacher is a pervert. I don’t even know how he got into the school to be truthful.”
You can read the entire release from Lorain City Schools about the teacher's resignation below:
"Recently, our District was made aware of serious allegations of misconduct by a high school teacher. Immediately upon receiving notice of those allegations, the District responded by initiating an investigation to determine whether such allegations could be substantiated. As the District started its investigation, the teacher tendered his resignation from employment, effective April 26, 2023.
"As of today, the teacher is no longer an employee of the Lorain City School District.
"As you know, Lorain Schools possesses an unwavering commitment to providing a safe and healthy culture to the community we serve, and especially to each of our students. As a District, we are committed to swiftly and definitively addressing any conduct that compromises that commitment, particularly when it arises from those we employ to carry out our mission.
"While the teacher’s employment with Lorain Schools has concluded, the District will continue to cooperate with the Lorain Police Department to address any developments in connection with this situation. Likewise, the District will continue its internal review of the allegations asserted and take any and all necessary actions to fulfill its commitment to provide a safe learning environment for all students that step through our doors."
Meanwhile, the district's teacher's union, Lorain Education Association, added this statement after Wednesday's developments:
"The Lorain Education Association is aware of the investigation and is fully cooperating. LEA works to ensure the due process rights that are granted to all public employees are respected, and we are doing so in this case, as we would for any member. LEA appreciates this educator’s decision to put the community first by resigning to prevent any ongoing distractions from this investigation from impacting student learning. The wellbeing of our students is always LEA’s top priority.”
More local coverage from WKYC:
- Cuyahoga County Board of Elections announces polling location changes impacting more than 26,000 voters for Ohio's May 2 primary election
- 2023 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame summer concert series in Cleveland: See this year's lineup
- Driver dies in overnight crash after vehicle hits concrete wall on I-480
- FORECAST | Cooler temps with sunshine
- Cleveland Cavaliers 2023 NBA playoffs fan guide
- Going on vacation? How to find the right care for your pet: Ready Pet GO!
Editor's note: the videos in this story are from previous stories.