It was not immediately clear whether Superintendent Garrick Askew or school board members were aware of the matter before Askew addressed parents in a recent letter.
DOTHAN, Ala. - Dothan police arrested a Dothan City Schools teacher late Wednesday on seven felony counts of enticing a child , according to a police statement that raises questions about how school officials handled the matter. 55-year-old Johnny Mark Dunaway, on paid leave pending an investigation, faces 7 counts of Enticing a Child and is jailed without bond.
However, there are questions about the timeline between when school officials first learned of concerns about Dunaway’s conduct and when police investigators were notified. Police said investigators learned a report was made to Dothan City Schools in February about alleged inappropriate conduct involving Dunaway and a student. A second report, dated April 28, included allegations of sexual misconduct, the statement said.
But, in a statement, police said they were not alerted until May 6 — and not by Dothan City Schools, but by the Houston County Department of Human Resources. Alabama law classifies school officials as mandatory reporters who must notify DHR of conduct breaches. It was unclear why the notification was not made in the February incident. Superintendent Garrick Askew addressed parents in a letter on Tuesday announcing Dunaway had been placed on paid leave pending an investigation.
Dunaway is expected to be terminated after completion of due process.
“The safety and well-being of our children remain the highest priority of Board Chair Turner, the Dothan Board of Education, and Superintendent Askew,” the district said Wednesday in a statement issued through attorney Dustin Fowler. “Neither the superintendent, chairman of the board, nor the members of the board of education member were aware of any complaint in February,” Fowler told WTVY News4. A phone call to Turner was not answered.
Police said that after they learned of the allegations against Dunaway, investigators began what they described as an intensive investigation, including a judge-authorized search of Dunaway’s residence in Dale County. Investigators are also reviewing social media and gaming platforms, the statement said.
“The safety of our children is non-negotiable. The Dothan Police Department will devote every available resource to investigating crimes against children, and anyone who exploits a position of trust to victimize a child should expect our full commitment to pursuing justice,” Police Chief William E. Benny said in a statement. Dunaway is being held without bond. Police sources said additional charges are possible, including allegations involving other victims.
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