PORT ORANGE, Fla. – A teacher and coach at a Volusia County high school was arrested after police said he had sexual contact with a 15-year-old student.
According to the Port Orange Police Department, officers responded to a residence after receiving a report of the ongoing “relationship” between a 15-year-old student and a teacher at Atlantic High School.
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Police said the teacher was identified as Arin Hankerd, 42, a gym teacher and football coach for the school. The relationship began around the first week of January and continued until the time of the report, according to a news release.
Police said detectives from the special investigations unit continued the investigation into the weekend and arrested Hankerd on Sunday. According to the release, police also executed a search warrant at his home.
According to a charging affidavit, the girl’s mother found a journal with entries detailing her contact with Hankerd. The student and Hankerd used Instagram to communicate and he would send inappropriate photos to the girl using the app, according to the affidavit.
The 15-year-old and Hankerd began having “normal and friendly” conversations almost daily in December 2022, the report said, and he would bring her lunch sometimes. He told her at one point he thought of her “as more than a regular student,” the affidavit said.
Other students began questioning the relationship between Hankerd and the student due to him buying her lunch, police said.
According to the charging affidavit, Hankerd and the student had sexual interactions in a portable classroom and a gym storage room at the school over several occasions.
Hankerd has been at the school for about two years and has also taught and coached at Mainland and Father Lopez high schools in Daytona Beach. Volusia County Schools released a statement on Monday saying Hankerd had resigned.
Yesterday, Volusia County Schools was informed by the Port Orange Police Department that Arin Hankerd, a teacher at Atlantic High School, was arrested with charges of inappropriate conduct with a student.
This type of behavior will not be tolerated by Volusia County Schools.
The VCS Office of Professional Standards met with Mr. Hankerd this morning at the Volusia County branch jail where he resigned from Volusia County Schools.
The safety and security of our students and staff is of utmost importance to us and we will continue to cooperate fully with the local authorities as part of this investigation.
Volusia County Schools
Police said Hankerd was arrested on “several criminal charges” and was being held at the Volusia County Jail with a total bond of $115,000.
According to the release, the investigation is ongoing and police asked if anyone has information about the activities of Hankerd, they are asked to contact Detective Kelsie Nugent at 386-506-5894 or email at knugent@port-orange.org.
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