A former Polk County school teacher was arrested for sexual offenses against a student.
Polk County Sheriff's Office (PCSO) arrested Donald Mitchell, 36, of Lakeland, for sexual offenses against a student by an authority figure on Wednesday.
PCSO said a 19-year-old girl told on social media that she had been engaged in a sexual relationship with Mitchell since October 2023. The 19-year-old was a student at Kathleen High School at the time. The relationship continued until after she graduated in November 2024.
Detectives then contacted Mitchell about the message, and he denied any sexual contact with the girl until after she graduated, according to PCSO. He did, however, admit to texting her often.
Detectives found multiple text messages from Mitchell on her phone, one from Valentine's Day 2024 that read, “I’m here to grow and groom you into what [I] know you’re capable of being!”
PCSO said they were able to determine that Michell used his position of authority over the victim inappropriately and was arrested.
Mitchell was a teacher at Kathleen High School and then was employed as a Community Outreach Facilitator for the Polk County School Board.
Polk County Schools said that Mitchell was first placed on administrative leave but has since submitted his resignation.
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