Taylor Middle-High teacher arrested over relationship with student

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Taylor Middle-High teacher arrested over relationship with student
MUGSHOT COURTESY VOLUSIA COUNTY CORRECTIONS; Patrick Gingras

BY ZOEY RITCHIE

An investigation beginning in February of 2024 has come to an end after former Volusia County teacher Patrick Gingras was placed under arrest for an alleged offense against a student by an authority figure.

Gingras, 35, who taught intensive reading at Taylor Middle High School in Pierson, was arrested Jan. 26 after an almost yearlong investigation. The investigation began with a school paraprofessional alleging that there was reason to believe there was an inappropriate relationship between one of the teachers and an 18-year-old student after another student confided in her about texts between the victim and Gingras in February 2024.

A Volusia County Schools professional standard investigator met with the student who had confided with the paraprofessional, alleging that Gingras sent her inappropriate photos, as well as stating that Gingras was having relations with another female adult student, although said student denied the allegation. 

A Volusia Sheriff’s Office investigation showed evidence that Gingras had added the student on the social media app Snapchat. In February of that year, according to the charging affidavit, the conversations turned sexual, with Gingras allegedly asking questions about the student’s sex life and sending her unsolicited photos of his privates and asking her to do the same. 

According to the charging affidavit, the last time the two had spoken was on Feb. 26, 2024, after the student informed Gingras that she had spoken with a Sheriff’s Office deputy and the principal of the school. The alleged victim turned her phone over to the authorities and Gingras was escorted off the campus Feb. 28 to speak with an investigator.  

Officers preserved digital information from Snapchat and attempted to contact Gingras multiple times in March. The only contact was with Gingras’ lawyer, advising that Gingras was not going to make a statement for the ongoing investigation, according to the charging affidavit. 

The charging affidavit details the investigation: It was in April that the investigators, with consent from the victim, downloaded her phone. They were also able to get a warrant signed to look into Gingras’ Snapchat account. Investigators then had another interview with the student, where they learned specific details about the relationship. 

Using the statements from the student as digital evidence, detectives determined probable cause to charge Gingras with one count of authority figure engaging in sexual conduct with a student. 

He was released on a $25,000 bond on Jan. 30 and will have his first court appearance in late February.

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