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2 months ago
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An Indiana social studies teacher who was the chairman of his local county Democrat party has been arrested for masturbating in front of a class.
Joel R. Bowers, 37, was charged on October 1 with two 6th degree felonies for performance before a minor that is harmful to minors and dissemination of matter harmful to minors.
A 14-year-old girl reported to police that during a sixth-period class at the Jay County Junior-Senior High School on April 9, Bowers 'would not get out of his seat and didn't tell us to do anything,' according to The Commercial Review.
Bowers was allegedly seated with one hand under his desk with his shirt 'untucked' and students claimed 'white stains' appeared on his pants.
'There was white stuff on his pants and he would not get up for anything. He had his hand down there and was sweating but it was cold in his room,' the student said in the police report.
Joel R. Bowers (pictured), 37, was charged for masturbating in front of a class in April
The teacher 'denied touching himself in class' to school administrators and police and insisted the stains were caused by paint.
His dissemination of matter harmful to minors stems from Bowers allegedly sending nude photos to a 15-year-old girl.
While investigating the classroom incident, police discovered a Snapchat conversation between Bowers and the girl who identified she was underage that contained naked photos.
He told police he thought the girl was an adult because they met on a chat platform that requires users to be 18 years old or older.
Bowers was placed on administrative leave from Jay County Schools on April 11 and shortly resigned from his position.
He was also the chairman of the Democratic Party in Jay County and resigned following the incident.
Bowers was the chairman of the Jay County Democrats at the time of the incident and he later resigned
A student reported to police that during a sixth-period class at the Jay County Junior-Senior High School (pictured) on April 9, Bowers had his hand under his desk and appeared sweaty
Bowers was released from Jay County Jail on a $3,000 bond and has a hearing scheduled for Monday at 4:30 p.m. ET.
If convicted, Bowers faces between six months to two and a half years behind bars, with an advisory sentence of one year.
Earlier this year shocking video captured the moment an elementary school student pummeled a special needs pupil in a 'fight club' orchestrated by their teacher.
The attacker can be heard saying 'don't mess with me' while throwing punches as her son cries on the ground - and their second-grade teacher shouts 'you get him.'
Corrie Horan's lawsuit in Marion County, Indiana , on behalf of her son accuses teacher Julious Johnican of 'orchestrating a reprehensible "fight club" type of discipline within his classroom over a span of three months'.
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