Montesano teacher arrested for sexual relationship with Montesano student

Montesano, WA – An athletic trainer and teacher at Montesano High School has been charged with sexual misconduct with a minor in the first degree.

According to Grays Harbor Superior Court documents, Ireland Casey Hendrix has been accused of engaging in sexual intercourse with a 17-year-old student at the school.

In the Declaration for Determination of Probable Cause it states that “On January 6, 2020 the Montesano Police Department was contacted by Montesano Junior Senior High School principal, Alex Pugh. Pugh stated they had a staff member, the Defendant, who was reported to be having a sexual relationship with a student,”

It goes on to state that the student “provided a written statement detailing that he and the Defendant had intercourse two times in a room at the school.” and that the “defendant had performed oral sex on him, also at the school.”

According to court documents, the student says that the sexual encounters occurred in October and November of 2019 which was prior to the students 18th birthday.

In the court documents it states that the defendant initially denied having any inappropriate contact with the student, but then later admitted that they did have intercourse in November at the school.

In the documents it states that “Believing the Defendant was likely to leave the area, she was placed under arrest on January 7, 2020 and booked into the Grays Harbor County Jail.”

Montesano Police Chief Brett Vance tells KXRO that the defendant was 66 months older than the student.

According to the Revised Code of Washington, “A person is guilty of sexual misconduct with a minor in the first degree when: the person is a school employee who has, or knowingly causes another person under the age of eighteen to have, sexual intercourse with an enrolled student of the school who is at least sixteen years old and not more than twenty-one years old and not married to the employee, if the employee is at least sixty months older than the student;”

Sexual misconduct with a minor in the first degree is a class C felony.