Burlington, News

Badger teacher charged with assaulting student

A Badger High School art teacher charged with sexually assaulting a student is scheduled to appear in court April 28.

Donald R. Hammon, 50, was charged March 25 in Walworth County Circuit Court with two counts of sexual assault of a student by school staff.

According to the criminal complaint, on March 20, a Lake Geneva detective spoke to a 17-year-old Badger student, who described an inappropriate relationship between Hammon and herself. The girl said when she met Hammon, her art teacher, about a year ago, he would hand her things but not let go of them and look at her as if he was attracted to her, according to the complaint.

The girl said Hammon told her he is not happy at home and doesn’t like his wife, and gave the girl a ring, which she was wearing during the interview with the detective, according to the complaint.

The girl disclosed two incidents in which she said Hammon touched her crotch and buttocks over her clothing in the glazing room at the school. In one incident, she said, she and Hammon were “hanging on each other” and she could feel his erection against her hip, according to the complaint.

The detective spoke to Hammon, who said the girl pushed him to have sex with her, which is further than he wants to go, according to the complaint. Hammon said he “maybe jokingly” asked the girl to perform oral sex on him a couple of times but was “mostly just messing around,” according to the complaint.

When the detective asked Hammon if he thought that was inappropriate, he said, “Boy is it ever … holy sh– … I hate myself for that,” according to the complaint. When the detective asked how the girl came on to Hammon, he said, “I don’t see how it matters, I’m the adult. I’m in the wrong,” according to the complaint.

Hammon told the detective he did not recall touching the girl inappropriately but said it could have happened. He admitting giving the girl a ring, and initially said the incidents of touching would have occurred within the previous several weeks but then later said he never touched her, according to the complaint.

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