WILLMAR - Chad Jeffrey Akerson,
the former Willmar Senior High School teacher accused of having a sexual relationship with a student
, has hired a defense attorney and will make his next court appearance in January.
Court documents show that Akerson’s attorney, Ryan Garry, made a request shortly after he was retained to have Akerson’s next hearing - originally scheduled for this week - postponed due to a scheduling conflict. Akerson now is scheduled to appear again January 12 in Kandiyohi County District Court.
MORE: Akerson's first court appearance
Akerson faces charges of first-, second- and third-degree criminal sexual conduct for allegedly having sexual contact with a female student who was 15 years old at the time and is now 20 years old.
Akerson resigned in October 2012 from his job as health instructor and weight room supervisor at Willmar Senior High School, just a few days after he was investigated by the school, according to Willmar Superintendent Jerry Kjergaard.
Allan Jensen, superintendent of Ashby School District, previously told the Tribune that Akerson has been placed on unpaid leave from his post as physical education teacher at Ashby High School.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Akerson remained in custody at the Kandiyohi County Jail on a $50,000 bail with conditions and a $200,000 bail without conditions, according to the jail’s online custody list.
Court documents also show that Judge Jennifer Fischer and Judge Donald Spilseth each filed orders earlier this month recusing themselves from Akerson’s case. Such an order removes a judge from a particular proceeding due to conflict of interest.
Akerson is scheduled to appear before Judge Michael Thompson for the January 12 hearing.
The criminal complaint states that a Willmar Police Department detective took a statement Nov. 6 from the 20-year-old woman who said Akerson began having sexual contact with her in October 2009 at his home, when she was 15 years old.
MORE: Willmar schools could not share information about Akerson with Ashby schools
Sexual contact, along with text messages, continued and Akerson allegedly began having regular sexual intercourse with the girl in January 2010, according to the criminal complaint.
Akerson had sex with the girl in various rooms at Willmar Senior High School, including Akerson’s classroom, Akerson’s home, the girl’s home and in Akerson’s vehicle in different locations in Kandiyohi County, the complaint states.
This pattern of sex allegedly continued through the time the girl turned 18 in the summer of 2012.
The complaint says the relationship continued after Akerson left Willmar in the fall of 2012 and up until this past October, but the criminal charges reference dates between the fall of 2009 and summer of 2012.
