DAUPHIN COUNTY, Pa.– The band director for Hershey High School has been charged with corruption of minors.
Jonathan Pinkerton is facing one count of corruption of minors for an incident that took place in August 2010, when he was employed by the Lower Dauphin School District, according to court documents.
The Lower Dauphin School District confirmed Pinkerton’s employment at the time of the incident. Pinkerton served as a high school music teacher, and directed the school’s marching band, concert band, and jazz band, the district said.
Derry Township School District superintendent Joe McFarland issued the following communication to parents regarding Pinkerton:
“Derry Township School District has extended indefinitely the administrative leave of a Hershey High School staff member accused of inappropriate behavior while employed at another school district. The district had previously placed the employee on leave when it was notified of an investigation and took immediate action to further extend that leave following criminal charges being filed on November 13.
Although the charges do not relate to Derry Township School District or any students from the district, and the alleged activity pre-dates the teacher’s employment here, as a public school entity focused at all times on providing a safe and secure learning environment, we take any allegation of impropriety extremely seriously.
Certainly, every citizen has a right to due process. As an employer we have a legal obligation to honor that right – including the presumption of innocence until proven otherwise. By placing the employee on leave while the matter is being adjudicated, we have taken appropriate action to maintain school safety while still preserving the rights of the accused.
As this is an active and ongoing legal matter, the district cannot – and will not – comment on specifics of the case. Instead, the courts will determine what information becomes public as part of the legal proceedings.”
