MOUNT JOY, Pa. — Police in Lancaster County have charged a teacher at Donegal High School accused of having inappropriate sexual contact with a student.
Christopher Thompson, 49, was a technical education teacher at the school at the time of the alleged offenses, according to Susquehanna Regional Police.
The victim in the case is a 14-year-old boy, police said.
Thompson is accused of touching the student on his shoulders, back, hands, and on a least one occasion, the buttocks, police said in a criminal complaint affidavit. Police said there were five instances where Thompson allegedly touched the student, who police said reacted negatively to the contact and told Thompson he did not like to be touched.
The student's emotional support teacher told police she saw Thompson touch the boy on the shoulder during a class in February, and said the student told Thompson "I don't like being touched."
The Donegal High School website no longer lists Thompson on its Teachers and Staff page. The School District said in a statement that he has been placed on administrative leave, pending the outcome of the case.
"The Donegal School District was advised today by the Susquehanna Regional Police Department that criminal charges have been filed against one of our teachers," the district's statement says. "While we do not typically comment on personnel or legal matters, we believe this situation necessitates the sharing of some information.
"On the afternoon of June 6, 2023, the Susquehanna Regional Police Department shared with the School District the likely prospect that criminal charges may be filed against this teacher in the future. Immediately after learning this information, the School District placed the teacher on administrative leave and restricted the teacher from being on school property. The teacher will remain on administrative leave until the conclusion of this case.
We are fully cooperating with the Susquehanna Regional Police Department and the District Attorney’s Office. We will refrain from making any further public comment on this matter at this time due to this being an open criminal case.
We remind you that all persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law."
The investigation began on March 10, when police received a report of a possible sexual offense that occurred at the high school, which is located in Mount Joy.
"Upon further investigation and numerous interviews, it was determined that the teacher did make unlawful contact with the student to a degree that warranted charges," the police department said.
The school learned of the alleged inappropriate contact on March 10, when the student told his emotional support teacher that Thompson had touched his buttocks while he was working on a project in Thompson's class. The student immediately left the class and reported the incident to his emotional support teacher, police said.
The emotional support teacher told police the student was visibly upset and agitated in the minutes after the alleged incident, according to police. The student was eventually picked up and taken home by his mother that day, and said he would never return to Thompson's class, according to police.
The emotional support teacher reported the incident to school administration, who contacted Susquehanna Regional Police.
In an interview with investigators, Thompson denied having any inappropriate physical contact with the student and claimed there had been "tension" between him and the student since the beginning of the semester.
Thompson is charged with unlawful contact with a minor (sexual offense), indecent assault of a person less than 16 years of age, and corruption of minors, according to police.
He was arraigned on the charges on Tuesday before Magisterial District Judge Randall L. Miller, who set bail at $150,000, court records show.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for August 22.
