Evan Harvey, an employee of Daviess County Public Schools, has been suspended after he was arrested Thursday for third-degree sodomy after a juvenile student in the Henderson County school system reported having sexual contact with him on multiple occasions throughout the 2018-2019 school year.
The Henderson Gleaner reported the 16-year-old student at Central Learning Academy filed the complaint on Sept. 10, stating the sexual contact was “consensual and always occurred in his classroom.”
“According to an arrest warrant filed at the Henderson Judicial Center, the student alleged that ‘she and the defendant made flirty comments to each other in the classroom and that they also communicated through Snapchat,’” The Gleaner reported.
Citing court documents, The Gleaner reported that Harvey would “move wheeled cabinets in his classroom and she would perform oral sex on him behind the cabinets so that they were out of view of the camera in the room. She advised this happened four or five times throughout the 2018-2019 school year.”
Harvey’s contract with HCS wasn’t renewed at the end of last school year.
According to the Education Professional Standards Board, Harvey was certified to teach social studies for 8-12th grade. He received an emergency certification restricted to Daviess County that was effective July 1, 2019, that allowed him to teach children with learning and behavior disorders.
Amy Shutt, DCPS assistant superintendent for human resources, would only confirm that Harvey is currently employed in the district at Tamarack Elementary School.
“These allegations were made known to us on Sept. 10 and since that date, this individual has been suspended, pending the results of the investigation,” she said.
While not included in DCPS’ statement, Owensboro Times confirmed that Harvey is listed on Kentucky High School Athletic Association’s website as an assistant football coach at Apollo High School.
Shutt said once DCPS was notified of the allegations against Harvey, he was placed on suspension and has not been on any DCPS school campus.
According to Shutt, there are no allegations of inappropriate behavior involving students at any Daviess County Public School.
Owensboro Times obtained at letter from Tamarack Elementary Principal Carrie Munsey addressed to the “Tamarack Family” assuring them the allegations against Harvey did not happen at the school.
“It is important for you to know that Tamarack is a safe place for teaching and learning,” Munsey wrote. “We have developed an environment in which students feel comfortable about sharing any concerns they might have, and our kids know their voices will be heard. Anytime an issue of any kind is brought to our attention, we respond immediately with an investigation and appropriate action.”
According to Shutt, DCPS follows a strict screening process as part of their hiring procedures, including local, state and federal criminal background checks and confirmation from the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services stating that the applicant has no findings of substantiated child abuse or neglect.
“Candidates for employment are not hired or placed in contact with students until those reports are received and cleared,” she said.
