A Denton Middle School language arts teacher turned himself in to the Mobile County Metro Jail after being charged with having improper sexual contact with a student, according to the Mobile Police Department.
Police said DeAndre Gerard Hill, 32, faced one count under an Alabama law covering school employees who have sexual contact with a student under 19 years old. A warrant had been issued for his arrest two days before he surrendered, following a joint investigation by Mobile police and the Child Advocacy Center.
According to police spokeswoman Ashley Rains, the investigation began after a student reported in March that Hill had made statements of a sexual nature to her while she was in his classroom. Rains said Hill taught seventh and eighth grade language arts at the school.
Hill was released on bond the same afternoon he turned himself in, with a court date scheduled for mid-May. Mobile County Public Schools did not immediately provide additional information about Hill’s employment status following his arrest; police also corrected an earlier report, clarifying that Hill had not actually resigned from his position when charges were filed.
The case adds to a string of school employee misconduct investigations that have drawn scrutiny to how Mobile County’s school system and its partner agencies, including the Child Advocacy Center, respond to reports involving students. The Child Advocacy Center, which works with local law enforcement on child abuse and misconduct cases throughout Mobile County, says it aims to move quickly once a report is made in order to limit any ongoing risk to students.
Parents in the Denton Middle School community were notified of the arrest through the district’s standard communication channels, though officials have not said whether any additional students came forward during the investigation. Details on the case remain limited while it proceeds toward Hill’s scheduled court date, and additional charges are possible depending on what investigators uncover as the case continues.