Teacher fired for sexting with student and serving alcohol

fuad lawal

August 20, 2015 7:26 AM

An Ohio high school social studies teacher has been fired after he exchanged a series of suggestive text messages with a student and served alcohol to minors.

Bollinger with his wife and kids

Mark Bollinger, 44, a social studies high school teacher, was notified of the action by River Valley School District superintendent, James Peterson on July 31 after the River Valley Local Schools Board of Education had an emergency special session to fire him, Daily Mail reports.

The board cited violations of the district's prohibition against fraternizing with students via email or social media and for 'conduct unbecoming of a professional' for serving alcohol to minors.

Bollinger began teaching in the district as an elementary school teacher in 1997. He allegedly encouraged students to be dishonest with law enforcement officials.

The board also cited insubordination for refusing to answer questions during a meeting with his attorney and an outside investigator, Douglas Duckett, who was hired to look into Bollinger's conduct at the end of last school year.

The teacher became involved with a 19-year-old female student that graduated in the spring of 2015.

Bollinger, a married father with three children, reportedly initiated the exchange of text messages with the female student on April 23 of this year, and continued through at least June 18.

A friend of the female student, a River Valley graduate enrolled in college, became concerned at the nature of the relationship between her friend and Bollinger.

She told her mother about the text messages, who then notified a River Valley board member on June 11, Peterson told the Star.

A Marion County sheriff's detective met with Peterson the following day and collected some of the texts still saved on the friend's phone.

Initially, the women who describe themselves as best friends, shared the messages between themselves, the Star reported.

Investigators interviewed both women and Bollinger and used the text messages they collected to confront them.

The female student and Bollinger told investigators that the relationship was not of a sexual nature, but said they shared one kiss after the student graduated.

fuad lawal