
A McFarland fourth grade teacher was charged Thursday with four felonies after police learned earlier this year of a suspected inappropriate relationship between the teacher and one of his former students.
A criminal complaint filed in Dane County Circuit Court charged Andrew C. Meeks, 35, of Madison, with first-degree sexual assault of a child, child enticement, causing mental harm to a child and exposing a child to harmful descriptions for alleged incidents between January and July involving a boy who is now 12 years old, but was 11 when some of the incidents occurred.
In the 14-page complaint, the boy describes constant discussions about sex prompted by Meeks along with inappropriate behavior by Meeks, which he said have left him feeling troubled.
The complaint states that police learned in April that there was possibly an inappropriate relationship between Meeks, a teacher at Waubesa Intermediate School in McFarland, and a former student, but after an investigation police couldn’t conclude that any criminal activity had happened.
Then in August, an officer received two text messages from the boy’s mother stating that her son had “disclosed some things that I need to report,” the criminal complaint states.
Meeks was arrested on Aug. 27 and released from jail on a signature bond two days later. The McFarland School District placed Meeks on administrative leave. District Superintendent Andrew Briddell said in a statement Thursday that Meeks remains on leave. He said the district would have no further comment.
Meeks appeared in court Thursday, where Court Commissioner Brian Asmus ordered the signature bond to continue.
Meeks’ attorney, Jonas Bednarek, did not immediately respond to a message.
According to the complaint:
In the first of three interviews in August and September at Safe Harbor Child Advocacy Center, which conducts forensic interviews of child victims of suspected sexual and physical abuse, the boy said Meeks was his fourth grade teacher, and said that when the school year started, Meeks had put the boy’s desk next to his own.
Throughout the interviews, which became more detailed as time went on, the boy described incidents in which he said Meeks had tried to teach him about certain sex acts and instructed him on masturbation techniques.
The boy said Meeks also told him he believed the boy is gay and encouraged him to “come out.” The boy said he insisted he is not gay, but said Meeks forced him to say he was.
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