ANKENY, Iowa — Ankeny police have arrested a Northview Middle School teacher and coach for alleged sex abuse and sexual exploitation of a minor from 2015 to 2018.
Rachel Whiteside, 34, "engaged in a pattern of sexual conduct" with a minor student beginning in 2015, the victim reported to the Ankeny Community School District on Jan. 24, 2024.
Police began investigating Whiteside just days after the victim's report, searching Whiteside's work computer and personal phone for more information about the alleged abuse. Whiteside was placed on administrative leave during the investigation.
"It's not a good story for anyone involved," said Sgt. Corey Schneden of the Ankeny Police Department. "It is a hard story to deal with, so we just hope the best for the victim and her family and friends."
The victim's report claims Whiteside abused them on school district property, though they were in contact electronically as well. Court documents allege Whiteside "used her role as a teacher and coach to make the student feel comfortable and share intimate details of the student's life" and was "methodical in her actions".
"She’s a threat to children based on what she has done to me and should be monitored. I believe she is currently doing this to a former student of Ankeny Centennial as well," the victim's report reads in part.
Content on her electronic devices aligned with the victim's report to the school district, according to court documents.
Whiteside is charged with:
- Sexual Abuse in the Third Degree
- Sexual Exploitation by a School Employee (four counts)
- Lascivious Conduct with a Minor
Whiteside turned herself in to the Ankeny Police Department the morning of Feb. 21, 2024, and has since been transported to the Polk County Jail.
As of Wednesday morning, Whiteside is still listed on Northview's staff directory.
In a statement to Local 5, a spokesperson for the Ankeny Community School District said in part, "In any allegation of staff misconduct, we are shocked and disappointed when the highest standards of education have not been met and the critical work of educating students is undermined. The conduct alleged in this case is prohibited in Ankeny Schools. The district thoroughly investigates any report that raises a concern about a staff member's conduct in the manner outlined by law, including any report of an inappropriate relationship. . . The district will follow the law and Board Policy with regard to this teacher’s employment status and will continue to fully cooperate with police and state agencies in any investigations related to this matter."