Teacher facing felony charge resigns from job at GFHS

A Green Forest High School English teacher who is charged with one felony count of internet stalking of a child, along with a misdemeanor count of second-degree endangering the welfare of a minor, has resigned from his position.

Dustin "Dusty" Lee

Dustin Don “Dusty” Lee recently submitted his resignation and it was approved by the Green Forest School Board at its regular meeting on Monday, Feb. 20.

“The teacher that was in trouble with the police and everyone else did resign at the end of his due process rights,” Green Forest Superintendent Matt Summers said, declining to comment further on the situation.

Lee was arraigned on Feb. 13 after appearing in Carroll County Circuit Court with his attorney, Kimberly R. Weber of Rogers. Court documents do not indicate that Lee entered a plea.

The charges stem from alleged inappropriate contact between Lee and a 15-yearold female student.

According to a probable- cause affidavit written by Green Forest police detective Allen Phillips, an investigation began after Summers spoke with school resource officer D.J. Harlan on Jan. 4. During his meeting with Summers, Harlan was asked to review Snapchat messages between Lee and the female student, who was in Lee’s English class, the affidavit says.

The student was interviewed Jan. 6 at Grandma’s House Child Advocacy Center, the affidavit says. During that interview, the student confirmed that Lee sent the messages reviewed by police, according to the affidavit.

The student also said Lee sent messages wanting to get her out of class and meet with her in his classroom, according to the affidavit, as well as offering to take her to a buffet. The student also said Lee has had previous conversations about his prior sex life, the affidavit says.

When the student was asked during the interview if she had ever received a touch that she was not comfortable with, she said Lee has at times leaned on her resting his hand on her breast, according to the affidavit.

The student said during the interview that Lee sent her a nude picture depicting him naked when he was 20 years old, the affidavit says. The student said she could see Lee’s genitals and described him as lying down nude looking at a book, according to the affidavit.

On Saturday, Jan. 7, Phillips spoke to Lee at his home, the affidavit says. Lee told Phillips that he had messaged the student but said he didn’t send the messages the student had accused him of sending, according to the affidavit. Lee told Phillips that he abuses a medication with similar side effects to Ambien and often could not remember doing things, the affidavit says. Lee then told Phillips that he had never sent nude photos to the student, according to the affidavit.

After initially refusing to surrender his phone, Lee allowed Phillips to take possession of the device, the affidavit says.

An arrest warrant for Lee was issued Jan. 9, and he was arrested at his mother’s home in Van Buren. Lee initially was booked into the Crawford County jail but later was transported to the Carroll County Detention Center in Berryville, where he was booked in Jan. 12. He was released later that day on a $75,000 bond.