Whittier Middle School teacher arrested for solicitation of a minor

A message sent to parents of Whittier Middle School parents Thursday morning said a teacher was arrested at their home on Thursday for a charge of solicitation of a minor.

The message — which several parents posted online — did not name the teacher but said that "at this time, there is no reason to believe the charges are related to a school incident.”

The message also mentioned that the teacher is currently in custody and waiting for a court appearance.

DeeAnn Konrad, community relations coordinator for the Sioux Falls School District, issued the following statement when asked for comment:

“The safety of students and staff is always the highest priority of the Sioux Falls School District. Rigorous background checks are completed for all applicants before employment is finalized. When allegations like these are presented, the District immediately places the person on leave, pending further legal proceedings. At this time, there is no information that indicates the arrest in question is related to the person’s workplace. We value our partnership with law enforcement, and our schools remain focused on providing the best education to our students.”

This is a developing story.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Whittier Middle School teacher arrested for solicitation of a minor