GILBERT, Ariz. — A former Higley High School teacher has been arrested for engaging in inappropriate relationships with young students.
Aaron Dunton, 35, was taken into custody Thursday by Gilbert police after a former student made allegations against the teacher when he taught at Power Ranch Elementary School.
According to Gilbert police, the student was 11 at the time Dunton allegedly committed crimes against the minor in 2019.
Dunton resigned from Highley High in April after other allegations surfaced that he had been engaged in an inappropriate relationship with another student.
Dunton is facing four counts of aggravated assault, one count of witness tampering, and two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. He's been booked into the Maricopa County jail.
The teacher started working at Highley High in July 2021 after he taught at Power Ranch Elementary for the five previous school years.
The Higley Unified School District said Dunton was also a volunteer softball coach and assistant football coach.
"We are extremely disappointed and troubled by this news. Please know that we take all allegations of employee misconduct very seriously and providing a safe learning environment is always a top priority for our district," the district wrote in a statement.
Any other former students who may have been abused by the suspect are encouraged to call the Gilbert Police Department at 480-503-6500.
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Up to Speed
On June 16, 2022, at 10:00 AM, the Gilbert Police Department arrested 35-year-old Aaron Dunton following an investigation that was initiated on April 14, 2022. The case originated from an allegation at Higley High School that a teacher, Dunton, was engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a 14-year-old student. After discovery of this relationship, Dunton resigned from his position at the school and an email containing basic details was disseminated to parents by the district.
This investigation led to the discovery of another victim, who made allegations against Dunton for incidents that occurred in 2019 at Power Ranch Elementary when the victim was 11 years old. Dunton was the victim’s teacher at the time of these allegations. After investigating both sets of allegations, Dunton was arrested and will be booked into the custody of the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office for four counts of Aggravated Assault, one count of Tampering with a Witness, and two counts of Contributing to Delinquency and Dependency.
The Gilbert Police Department is seeking to identify additional potential victims or witnesses. Anybody with pertinent information is encouraged to contact the Gilbert Police Department at 480-503-6500.