Ankeny school district no longer employs teacher and coach accused of exploiting student

Editor's note: An additional public records request revealed Rachel Whiteside was terminated.

An Ankeny teacher and coach accused in February of sexually abusing a former student is no longer an employee of the district.

Rachel Whiteside, a former middle school teacher at Northview Middle School and district softball coach, was charged Feb. 21 in Polk County District Court with sexual abuse, exploitation by a school employee and lascivious conduct with a minor. The charges center on allegations that Whiteside had an inappropriate relationship with a student that began in 2015 and continued for several years.

Whiteside had previously been placed on administrative leave. A district spokesperson confirmed she is no longer an employee with the district.

Whiteside's charges remain pending in court. An arraignment is scheduled for April 11, according to online court records.

At its April 1 meeting, the Ankeny school board rejected a personnel report with Whiteside's resignation. However, following a closed hearing, the board approved the superintendent's recommendation to terminate the contract of a teacher whose name was not disclosed.

A district spokesperson confirmed on April 4 that Whiteside was no longer employed with the district but could not say whether hers was the contract the board voted to terminate.

Iowa law calls for a teacher whose contract might be terminated to receive notice and the right to request a private hearing that is not subject to open records law.

Chris Higgins covers the eastern and northern suburbs for the Register. Reach him at chiggins@registermedia.com or 515-423-5146 and follow him on Twitter @chris_higgins_.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Ankeny teacher accused of abusing student no longer works for district