Mt. Vernon School Officials Waited 17 Days To Report Child Seduction Allegations Against Teacher

Kisha Nuckols (Facebook Photo)

There is yet another case of an educator being arrested for having inappropriate sexual relations with students after school officials failed to immediately report those allegations as required by state law. A high school counselor at Mt. Vernon Community Schools first told a principal of the district's middle school of allegations a substitute teacher was having inappropriate sexual relations with students as early as March 12 according to the Indianapolis Star. The middle school principal waited until March 29, or two weeks later, before mentioning the allegations to an assistant high school principal, who immediately reported the allegations to police.

Fortville Police issued an arrest warrant on Friday for the substitute teacher, 38-year old Kisha Nuckols, on child seduction charges for having sex with as many as six current and former students of the school district. Court documents filed in Hancock County indicate that Bronwyn Kotarski, a high school guidance counselor, first told Mt. Vernon Middle School principal Scott Shipley about the allegations on Saturday, March 12. Shipley waited until March 29 to contact the school district's principal, Derek Shelton. Shelton knew the brother of one of the alleged victims and reached out to him, seeking confirmation of the allegations. The victim showed explicit images Nuckols had shared with him to his brother. Shelton reported what he discovered to Fortville Police that same day. A report was also made to the Department of Child Services that same day.

Nuckols is accused of initiating the relationship with students after reaching out to them on their social media accounts. She had sex with one 17-year old student on multiple occasions at her home and in her car. The school's superintendent, Shane Robbins, is investigating the timeline of events to determine whether disciplinary action should be taken against any school officials for failing to immediately report the allegations to law enforcement and child welfare services as required by state law. Robbins noted the school district went on a two-week spring break starting March 12 and did not return to school until March 28.

This is the third incident in recent months where local school officials have appeared to have violated state law by failing to timely report allegations of child sexual abuse by one of their employees. Park Tudor officials waited a day to report incomplete information it knew about allegations against its former high school boys basketball coach Kyle Cox having an inappropriate relationship with a student. IPS officials waited six days to report allegations against Shana Taylor, a school counselor. The Marion Co. Prosecutor's Office has not filed charges in either of those cases against school officials for violating state law.