Mid-Columbia teacher on leave for sexual assault charges involving 14-year-old student
A North Franklin School District teacher is on paid administrative leave after one of his students told police he inappropriately touched her and made sexually suggestive comments.
Edgar Edmidio Mendez, 35, is facing two misdemeanor charges in Franklin County District Court: fourth-degree assault with sexual motivation and communication with a minor for immoral purposes.
Mendez, a seven-year district employee who currently works as an English as a Second Language teacher at Olds Jr. High School, was placed on paid administrative leave in August pending the results of the investigation and charges.
“The North Franklin School District’s top priority is to ensure a safe learning environment, and we take allegations of any inappropriate behavior by an employee seriously,” Superintendent Jim Jacobs wrote in a prepared statement.
The district is not releasing additional information at this time. His salary last year as a secondary school teacher was nearly $72,000.
Connell police were contacted in mid-July by Washington state Child Protective Services after a relative of a 14-year-old student reported she was allegedly being “groomed” by a teacher.
Court documents claim Mendez made crass and sexual comments toward the teen and had reportedly touched her thighs and butt several times.
The girl later told police in an interview that she had developed a close relationship with her teacher. She said Mendez was like a mentor or counselor and that he was “like a safe space for a lot of things.”
Around the middle of the 2021-22 school year, his comments to her became more brash and sexual in nature, and he allegedly began talking about her figure. The police report said she remembered him saying, “Your a-- looks fat. You look thick.” The slang term commonly refers to an attractive full-figure body.
When she told him that she was questioning her sexuality, Mendez reportedly said she wasn’t gay, she just needed some sex with a man. He’s also alleged of telling her that if he was her age he would have sex with her.
Mendez also allegedly requested she send a video of herself, and asked her if she was having sex with anyone.
On May 18, according to court documents, the girl said he slapped her butt while she was asleep during a movie in class to wake her up. She left the classroom crying.
About two days later, the teen said she kicked Mendez multiple times after he allegedly put her legs onto his lap and rubbed her thighs.
She said she became really distant and depressed after her interactions with Mendez.
In an Aug. 4 interview with police, Mendez said that while he and the student were close and that he often gave her comments on her looks, he never slapped or touched her in a sexual manner, according to court documents.
He said it was possible that he touched her legs and might have accidentally slapped her on the butt to wake her up.
He’s pleaded innocent to the charges and is out of jail awaiting trial.
Reporter Cameron Probert contributed to this report.
This story was originally published September 27, 2022 at 12:56 PM.
