Jefferson County teacher arrested on felony charges
SHEPHERDSTOWN — A teacher at Shepherdstown Elementary has been charged with enticement of a minor and travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, school district officials said during a press conference this morning.
Douglas E. Hunt, of Charles Town, has been with Jefferson County Schools for 11 years. He has worked as an art teacher at Shepherdstown Elementary since 1997 and the boys varsity soccer coach at Jefferson High School.
Hunt was arrested Dec. 4 in Virginia, school officials said today. Parents of students at Shepherdstown Elementary will receive letters regarding the charges against Hunt, district officials said. Letters also were mailed to team members’ parents, they said.
According to the letter, which was mailed to students’ parents on Thursday, Hunt has not worked at the school since Dec. 5. School officials do not anticipate that he will return to Shepherdstown Elementary, according to the letter parents received from the district.
On Wednesday afternoon, the school district officially was notified of the charges. Susan Wall, superintendent of Jefferson County Schools, said Hunt remains incarcerated in Virginia on four felony charges through the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia in Alexandria. He has not been indicted, school officials said.
Wall said that the school system was cooperating with the ongoing investigation from Dec. 5 forward and received official notification of the charges Wednesday from the FBI. That resulted in Thursday’s communication from the school and today’s press conference, she said. The alleged criminal conduct does not involve students from Jefferson County Schools, Wall said.
She said that no action will be taken by the district between now and the next board of education meeting on Jan. 12.
“It’s a personnel matter and was handled according to personnel law,” Wall said.
“It’s surprising,” she said. “It’s something we don’t like to deal with but it’s being dealt with. We want to be as honest as we can.”
Wall said that a long-term substitute is handling Hunt’s teaching responsibilities until further action is taken by the board.
Any concerns or questions may be directed to Suzanne Offutt, principal at Shepherdstown Elementary at (304) 876-6270, or Patrick Blanc, assistant superintendent at (304) 728-9223.