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Watertown High School teacher Jordan Bakken was accused of alleged s*xual misconduct involving a student. He is currently facing r*pe charges in connection to the allegations. Watertown Superintendent Jeff Danielsen shared a statement on January 26 and mentioned that Jordan Bakken was placed on administrative leave after the allegations came to light.
As per Dakota News Now, the statement read:
"Per last evening, the employee has been placed on administrative leave, and has resigned pending board approval. The employee will no longer be allowed on school grounds. This will be effective immediately, and we will begin a search for a replacement."
Trigger warning: The article contains references to assault. Readers' discretion is advised.
A Watertown teacher was taken into custody on Thursday and charged for allegedly assaulting a minor student
On Thursday, January 25, 2024, high school teacher Jordan Bakken was taken into custody for allegedly r*ping a student. According to KXLG News, the very next day, he was charged with fourth-degree r*pe of a victim under the age of 16 and older than 13, solicitation of a minor, and s*xual contact with a child under the age of 18 by a person in authority.
Authorities claimed that Jordan Bakken allegedly established an inappropriate relationship with a student between January 12 and January 13, 2024. As per KXLG News, according to officials, the parents of the minor came across some messages that were allegedly shared between the teacher and the student. The student reportedly left home to drive to a cabin near Gettysburg, with Jordan Bakken.
Dakota News Now reported that a statement was issued by the Watertown Superintendent, Jeff Danielsen on January 26. According to the statement, the high school teacher notified the parents about an alleged inappropriate relationship between a teacher and a student.
He further confirmed that there is no information that suggests that Danielsen was "involved with more than a single student."
"We strongly condemn the actions of this individual and regret this incident happened. The Watertown School District wants you to know that we make our students’ safety and well-being of the utmost importance," the statement read.
The suspect was booked into the Brookings County Detention Center and a cash-only bond of $40,000 was set on January 25, 2024, as per KXLG News. The case is reportedly being investigated by the Department of Criminal Investigations (DCI), and further details are awaited.
