Florida Teacher Accused of Predatory Behavior by 30 Students Following Back-to-Back Arrests for Alleged Inappropriate Relationships
May 26 2023, Published 3:00 p.m. ET
A Florida high school teacher's history of disturbing predatory behavior was exposed following back-to-back arrests over alleged inappropriate relationships with several students, RadarOnline.com has learned.
Arin Hankerd, 43, was employed as a gym teacher at Atlantic High School in Port Orange, Florida, when he was arrested on February 30 for allegedly having an inappropriate relationship with a student in January.
Since his February arrest, at least 30 additional women have come forward claiming to be victims of Hankerd.
The sheer volume of allegations that followed the former teacher's arrest was tragic — and numerous claims involved allegations from students at additional schools, across the state, where Hankerd was previously employed.
According to The Dayton-Beach News Journal, a 17-year-old student from Mainland High School in Dayton Beach, accused Hankerd of coercing her back to his home, where he allegedly forced her to perform oral sex on him.
Parents of alleged victims also came forward with claims against the gym teacher.
Sara Castillo, a parent of an Atlantic High School, told local news that she removed her daughter from school because Hankerd had "pet names" for her student — and his behavior allegedly "escalated to him trying to touch her."
Castillo claimed that when she brought her concerns to the school administration, she was told, "that this was not the first complaint."
In March 2020, when he was employed at Mainland High School, Hankerd was given a "letter of caution" after administration learned of a conversation he allegedly had with a female student, in which he discussed drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana.
In October 2021, Hankerd was given another "letter of caution" for allegedly making inappropriate comments about two female students' appearances.
A third letter was issued to Hankerd after he allegedly questioned another female student about her boyfriend and belly button piercing.
Hankerd appeared in court on Tuesday, where he was considered a danger to the community and was ordered to remain in custody without bail.
Hankerd was officially charged with unlawful sexual activity with a minor, which was enhanced to a first-degree felony charge. The former teacher was also charged with offenses against students by an authority figure, a second-degree felony.
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