An English teacher at Chesterton High School in Chesterton, Indiana, has been arrested for allegedly engaging in a sexual relationship with a student over a period of several years. The teacher, Dakota McCoy, was pulled from the classroom last month and subsequently charged with three felony counts of child seduction and felony obstruction of justice.
According to the charging document, the former student came forward and claimed that the sexual relationship began when she was a sophomore and continued until her senior year. The allegations also include claims that McCoy provided alcohol and cigarettes to students and that the lines would get blurred as he started showing the student more attention, giving her rides home, and communicating with her on various messaging services.
The former student alleges that the first sexual encounter occurred at a house party when she was 16 or 17 years old and estimated that they had sex about 50 times in his car and at his mother’s house. She provided police with a recording of a conversation she had with McCoy in June 2022, where he allegedly admitted to the sexual encounters and expressed guilt and shame.
Following the allegations, Chesterton High School promptly removed McCoy from the classroom and fired him. In a statement to parents, Duneland School Superintendent Chip Pettit assured them that the safety of students is their top priority and that they are fully cooperating with law enforcement and the prosecutor’s office in pursuing the case.
McCoy now faces serious legal consequences for his alleged actions, including child seduction and obstruction of justice charges. The case serves as a reminder of the importance of maintaining appropriate boundaries between teachers and students, and the duty of schools to provide a safe and nurturing learning environment.
Sexual misconduct cases involving teachers and students are deeply concerning and require swift action. Authorities must ensure a thorough investigation, and if proven guilty, appropriate punishment must be administered to protect students from such abuse in the future.
