A teacher from David Glasgow Farragut High School at Naval Station Rota, Spain, was barred from the base Monday for allegedly sending inappropriate text messages to a student at the school, according to the Department of Defense Dependents Schools.
A letter signed by Doug McEnery, the high school principal, was sent to parents Tuesday, explaining the teacher was immediately removed from the classroom once the school was made aware of the situation.
The letter, obtained by Stars and Stripes, said parents of a student made allegations that "a teacher was giving inappropriate attention toward their child."
The incident had been reported to Navy Criminal Investigative Service, but an agency official said the information didn’t warrant opening a formal investigation.
The teacher, whose name was not released by school officials, was removed from the classroom on Nov. 23. He was still allowed to work at the school while the incident was being reviewed by the base Family Advocacy Program office.
The Family Advocacy investigation was then reviewed by Capt. Bill Mosk, the base commander, who decided to bar the teacher from the base, according to Lt. Ben Tisdale, a base spokesman.
Tisdale would not comment on any of the findings in the report, or say when it was completed because DODDS was still conducting its investigation.
While the barring order is considered permanent, the teacher is allowed in the school if DODDS needs to arrange meetings to discuss the case. In such cases, the visit must be arranged in advance through the Navy legal office, and the teacher must be escorted by security personnel, Tisdale said.
The teacher is on paid suspension pending an investigation by DODDS, according to school spokeswoman Maggie Menzies. She did not say how long it would take for DODDS to wrap up its investigation.
"Any possible disciplinary action would depend on the outcome of the investigation into the incident," said Menzies, who would not comment on the nature of the text messages, saying only they were "inappropriate."
Marie Sainz-Funaro, president of the Overseas Federation of Teachers, said the teacher did not want to speak with Stars and Stripes about the allegations.
