EASLEY—Liberty police arrested former Easley High School teacher John Kilgallen Thursday afternoon for alleged “inappropriate sexual contact” with a 17-year-old female student.
Adam Gilstrap, a detective with the Liberty Police Department, said police became involved after the situation was brought to their attention.
“We made an arrest (Thursday) afternoon on John Kilgallen, a teacher at Easley High School,” said Gilstrap. “It was determined that during the mutual relationship, which started at the beginning of the school year, a sexual encounter occurred at John Kilgallen’s residents in Liberty.”
Gilstrap says Kilgallen has been charged with a felony.
“Kilgallen has been charged with sexual battery with a student due to the inappropriate sexual contact with the enrolled student,” said Gilstrap.
“The administration from Easley High contacted us because of their contact with the mother (of the 17-year old),” Gilstrap continued. “(Sexual battery) which is a felony, is punishable by not more than five years.”
Pickens School District Public Information Specialist John Eby says the relationship was brought to the school’s attention on Monday.
“The parents came to us Monday afternoon with a complaint that there was some kind of misconduct going on,” said Eby. “(They) were not specific on what the details of it were, but they knew something was up. We scheduled a meeting with them for Tuesday afternoon to talk about it.”
The meeting that occurred the next day resulted in Kilgallen’s departure.
“Tuesday afternoon we sat down with the parents,” said Eby. “They told us what the allegations were, and as soon as they told the staff, we contacted Liberty police. Right around that same time the teacher turned in his resignation.”
Eby says it was the school’s priority to protect the students immediately.
“Tuesday morning, first thing, we informed the teacher that he was on administrative leave while we checked it out,” said Eby. “From the time we got the initial complaint from the parents until he resigned, he was never back in the classroom again.”
Eby says Easley High followed proper protocol.
“(During a situation like this) the teacher gets put on leave immediately so they can’t keep on having contact with any of the students while we check it out,” said Eby. “If there is a criminal allegation being made, you have to contact the police. That’s what we did.”
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