Lehto v. Board of Education of the Caesar Rodney School District

A school board (defendant) fired a 34-year-old teacher (plaintiff) on the grounds of immorality for engaging in a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old minor who was his former student at the elementary school where he taught. The teacher was well-liked within the elementary school and had a history of positive performance evaluations. The inappropriate relationship began when the teacher became reacquainted with the minor, whose younger sibling was in the teacher’s class. The minor and teacher began their relationship when the minor started picking up her younger sibling from the teacher’s elementary school. The minor and the teacher engaged in several instances of sexual conduct initiated by the teacher. After the minor confided in her friend about the relationship, the friend told her parents, who then notified the police. The police detective who investigated the allegations obtained statements from the minor and the teacher admitting that the two engaged in sexual conduct. The teacher was arrested and charged with statutory rape, but the state entered a nonprosecution order for lack of prosecutorial merit. Many parents in the community were aware of the allegations. The teacher’s school board terminated the teacher for immorality. The teacher appealed the board’s decision in state court. The lower court affirmed the board’s decision to terminate the teacher. The teacher then appealed to the Delaware Supreme Court, arguing his inappropriate relationship was with a student outside of his school district and that the relationship did not affect his professional duties.