What did Arin Hankerd do? Charges explored as Atlantic High School teacher faces misconduct allegations

Atlantic High School's 42-year-old football coach Arin Hankerd was recently arrested for allegedly having a physical relationship with a 15-year-old student. The coach was arrested after the police were tipped off about the nature of the relationship he shared with the teenager.

As per reports filed by authorities, the relationship between the two started in January. Arin was teaching the student since last August.

The teen in question also reportedly had a journal where she had written about her relationship with the teacher. This journal was read by the girl's mother, who became suspicious after noticing that her daughter spoke a lot about the coach. Later, the mother also discovered that Hankerd had been sending the teenager inappropriate pictures on Instagram.

Arin Hankerd was charged with two counts of lewd and lascivious molestation of a person older than 12 years of age but younger than 16. Additional charges against him include traveling to meet a minor and using a computer for lewd and lascvious exhibition by a person 18 years or older to a victim less than 16 years old.

The teacher is being held at the Volusia County Branch Jail on a $115,000 bail. He has already resigned from his post at Atlantic High School.

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Parents and former students allege that Atlantic High School ignored multiple complaints against Arin Hankerd

After the gym teacher was arrested, multiple parents of former students as well as former students themselves spoke up and revealed how school authorities ignored several complaints lodged by them against the teacher.

One parent took to Facebook and claimed:

“We complained about him repeatedly to the school along with so many other parents. They launched an investigation and sent someone down from Tallahassee to ask my daughter questions, she expressed how uncomfortable he made her feel and how he made advances towards her and they did NOTHING!”

Another Atlantic High School student named Jennifer Lutz alleged that the school had ignored her complaints and only moved her from Hankerd's class when the latter got annoyed and falsely claimed that she had a gun in her car.

Social media users took to Facebook to talk about the high school gym teacher who had a history of misbehaviour with young girls on the school premises. (Image via Facebook)

Several former employees of Atlantic High School have also reported that their complaints against Hankerd went unheard for over a decade. Many have demanded that the school should also be held accountable for ignoring the complaints made by students and parents.

The school district officials have now spoken up on the matter and released an official statement saying:

"This type of behavior will not be tolerated by Volusia County Schools... The safety and security of our students and staff is of utmost importance to us and we will continue to cooperate fully with the local authorities as part of this investigation.”

Investigators also conducted a search at the teacher’s house, but did not reveal what their findings were.

Arin joined Atlantic High School two years back. Before that, he was a teacher at Mainland High School and Father Lopez Catholic High School.