Police: Fired Olathe teacher had sex with 17-year-old student multiple times at school
A fired Olathe Northwest High School teacher and coach facing three felony charges is accused of having sexual intercourse with a 17-year-old student both at his home and at the school multiple times, according to court records.
Last month, Steven Mesa, 47, was arrested and charged in Johnson County District Court with three counts of unlawful sexual relations with a student. Mesa, a physical education teacher and wrestling coach, was fired effective Sept. 1, after working for the Olathe school district since August 2001.
An affidavit unsealed Thursday by a Johnson County District Court judge says that on Aug. 26, the Olathe Police Department was notified about a possible sexual relationship between a teacher and student at Northwest High School. They were identified as Mesa and a 17-year-old Northwest student.
Detectives met with the student, who initially denied having sexual intercourse with Mesa, according to police. But she later alleged, the affidavit says, that toward the end of July, she started to have sexual encounters with Mesa, including intercourse. The student claimed to have sexual intercourse with Mesa several times, including both at his home and at the high school.
Police contacted Mesa, who, the affidavit said, declined to provide a statement.
Attorneys listed for Mesa did not immediately return The Star’s request for comment on Thursday.
Court records show that Mesa posted $100,000 bond and is restricted to house arrest with GPS monitoring, is not allowed to go within 100 yards of the victim’s residence or employment, and is not allowed to contact the victim or witnesses.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. Nov. 15.
Mesa was a high school teacher for the duration of his employment with the Olathe district, a spokeswoman said, and most recently a head wrestling coach. He also worked as an assistant baseball coach last year.
Olathe school district officials previously said in a statement that, “Although we are unable to comment in detail on personnel matters, we can share that our administration was recently made aware of allegations of misconduct by Steve Mesa. Upon learning of these allegations, the district took swift action to place Mesa on leave, refer the matter to local law enforcement, conduct an investigation, and make the recommendation of termination to the Board of Education.”
A spokeswoman said the district, “takes all allegations of staff misconduct very seriously. We will not tolerate anything that impacts the wellbeing or safety of our students or staff. We have processes and procedures in place, including working closely with local law enforcement to investigate and address these situations in accordance with our board policies, state and federal laws. We are committed to ensuring that our students are educated in a safe environment.”
Several teachers in the Kansas City metro area have been accused of sexual misconduct in recent weeks.
A teacher at Center High School accused of inappropriate communication with a student was placed on leave, district officials said this week. Shawnee Mission North High School teacher Alexander Morris was charged with five felony counts of sexual exploitation of a minor last week. And Jason L. Carey, a substitute teacher in Belton, allegedly sent nude photos of himself to eighth graders and is accused of sexually assaulting an 8-year-old girl in early August.
