A Florida high school band teacher is accused of sexual misconduct with a 17-year-old student, authorities said.
Jason Phillip Allgair, 35, of Tampa, was arrested Friday evening and charged with 30 counts of being an authority figure engaging in sexual conduct with a student, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies said the student claimed she was involved in a relationship with Allgair, who taught at Steinbrenner High School in the Tampa suburb of Lutz, the Tampa Bay Times reported.
The Sheriff’s Office said the incidents occurred from October 2017 to May 2018 between Allgair and the female student, who was 17 at the time, WTSP reported.
“The care and protection of young students is a teacher’s duty. Jason Allgair’s alleged actions violated the trust of not only one student, but also the parents, school faculty and community that entrusted him with their children,” Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement. “I commend the victim for finding the courage to speak out about what happened.”
Allgair, who has taught at Steinbrenner High School since 2016, was put on administrative leave pending termination, according to officials with Hillsborough County Public Schools.
“He will not be returning to our school and will be placed on administrative leave pending termination,” the school district said in a statement.
Before coming to Steinbrenner, Allgair taught for nine years at nearby Wharton High School, according to the Laker/Lutz News.
Allgair is being held at the Hillsborough County Jail, with bail set at $225,000.