A Bellingham middle school teacher charged with secretly recording a student in a bathroom appeared in court Monday.
Scott McDonald, 38, a teacher and baseball coach at Bellingham Memorial Middle School was arraigned on felony charges for possessing illicit images of a minor. He was placed on paid administrative leave on Nov. 9 after the student reported the incident
Police say a 14-year-old boy told a school resource officer earlier this month that when McDonald told him he could use the faculty bathroom, the boy found a box with a hole and a cellphone recording inside.
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Bellingham Superintendent of Schools Peter Marano said McDonald was immediately removed from the classroom once the allegation was made.
"As an educator and a parent I am absolutely appalled anytime a teacher violates the awesome trust and responsibility given to teachers by the parents of the children placed in our care on a daily basis," Marano said in a statement. "We will not tolerate any behavior by any member of the staff or faculty of our school district that violates that trust.
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McDonald was released on $1,000 bail and will be staying with family while the case is pending. He has been ordered to be on GPS monitoring.
A meeting for parents and students is set for Monday night.