Duluth Elementary School Teacher Charged With Criminal Sexual Assault of Female Student

Raleigh Edison Academy teacher arrested for allegedly assaulting female student

A Duluth elementary school teacher is facing felony charges for allegedly sexually assaulting a female student.

John Paul Horgeshimer is a teacher at the Raleigh Edison Academy. He is charged with first and second degree criminal sexual conduct with a child under the age of 14.

According to a criminal complaint, on March 5, the student was running to get an eraser when she ran into Horgeshimer in a stairwell.

The victim said she was cornered by him and he began touching her chest area with enough force that it hurt.

The girl said no one was around when this happened, and she froze in a “fight or flight” response.

According to the complaint, the student said she slapped the defendant’s hand away and escaped. But she said it was difficult because the teacher was standing on one of her toes.

The complaint says the victim then ran to her teacher’s room to report what happened.

Horgeshimer turns 49-years-old this month, and was initially booked in the St. Louis County Jail with bail set at $75,000.

Families of students were notified by the school. No teacher was named, but in a message to parents, Tammy Rackliffe, Head of School for Duluth Edison Charter Schools said in part,

“…We want to assure you that the safety and well-being of our students is our utmost priority. Please know that Duluth Edison Charter School is fully cooperating with law enforcement…We encourage anyone with any information related to this situation to come forward to the Duluth Police Department…”