LSSC teacher faces child seduction charges

A warrant has been issued for a Linton-Stockton High School teacher following allegations of sexual encounters with a student.

Taylor Valandingham-Dunham, 29, of Terre Haute, is facing two counts of Level 5 felony child seduction.

According to a statement by the Linton-Stockton School Corporation, Valandingham-Dunham is currently on administrative leave.

Linton Police Department Detective Paul Clark filed a probable cause affidavit in Sullivan Superior Court on Monday.

According to the probable cause affidavit, Clark was contacted by Linton-Stockton School Resource Officer Josh Goodman on April 3. Goodman had been contacted by the high school principal following rumors there was a video of the high school art teacher in a student’s vehicle outside of the school setting. The principal reportedly told Clark that Valandingham-Dunham stated “she had made a mistake” by riding in the student’s vehicle while working on a project. The principal stated she also spoke with the student, who stated they ran into each other then picked up some art supplies.

Clark wrote that later the same evening, the principal was contacted by the student’s mother who reportedly stated the principal needed to re-interview the student because “there was more to the situation” and it was “sexual in nature.”

Clark met with the student and a parent at the Linton Police Department on April 3, where he and Goodman interviewed the student.

The student, referred to as Student A -- or SA -- in the court documents, stated they had sent Valandingham-Dunham a request to follow her on social media platform Instagram, where the two reportedly began talking through direct messaging.

“SA stated that the direct messages on Instagram were not inappropriate in any manner,” Clark wrote.

The student stated the two then started to communicate through Snapchat, a social media application where photos and messages disappear after a few seconds.

“When I asked SA if he/she and Valandingham-Dunham had exchanged inappropriate photographs on Snapchat, he/she replied, ‘not really,’” Clark wrote in the report, with the student stating there were no nude photographs exchanged.

“SA said that the only image close to that was from Valandingham-Dunham, and was an image from her waist down, but that she was wearing underwear in the image,” Clark said.

The teacher had reportedly told the student via Snapchat she wanted to see the student, but he/she said it was not possible because she was in Terre Haute. The teacher reportedly sent a photo in her underwear saying, “maybe this will change your mind.”

The student told police in late March, the two were working together on a project and met outside the classroom setting where the two allegedly traveled to Greene Sullivan State Forest and engaged in sexual acts. The encounter allegedly happened on more than one occasion.

Following one of the incidents, another student allegedly saw the two together and took a video. Valandingham-Dunham and the student reportedly came up with a story about how they happened to run into each other then rode together to pick up supplies. The student reportedly went to Valandingham-Dunham to tell her about the video, so Valandingham-Dunham then approached the principal, providing a story about riding with the student to pick up items for the project.

Clark and Goodman acquired video footage of Valandingham-Dunham in the student’s vehicle at a local convenience store and grocery store, confirming the student’s story.

Indiana State Police Crime Scene Technician Trooper Eric Russell was contacted to collect forensic evidence from the student’s vehicle.

Clark made contact with Valandingham-Dunham on April 3 in regards to the allegations she made.

Valandingham-Dunham initially stated her relationship with the student was in regards to the school project, but later admitted to the sexual encounters.

Valandingham-Dunham was placed on administrative leave from the school during the course of the investigation, and now that charges have been filed, a statement from the school says she will remain on leave.

“Linton-Stockton School Corporation’s mission is to protect and educate our students. Our corporation takes a proactive approach in dealing with issues that affect the safety and well-being of our students and community,” the statement from the school says.

“During the investigation, the Corporation placed Ms. Valandingham-Dunham on administrative leave, and as a result of the recent criminal charges filed against Ms. Valandingham-Dunham, she remains on administrative leave while we work with our attorneys to address her future employment status.”

High School principal Alicia Cornelius made the preliminary decision on Monday to terminate Valandingham-Dunham's employment with the school.