Ex-Carson High teacher accused of sexual conduct with student pleads not guilty

A former Carson High School teacher pleaded not guilty in district court Tuesday morning to a charge of sexual conduct with a between an employee of a school and a pupil.

Jennifer Dalton, 35, is accused of engaging in sexual conduct with a student, 17 at the time, between March 4 and April 1, 2011. Dalton was an English teacher at the time. She was placed on administrative leave with pay Sept. 1, 2011, and resigned Nov. 7, 2011, Superintendent Richard Stokes told the Appeal in 2012.

The trial is set for Sept. 4-6. Dalton waived the formal reading of the charges.

The sheriff’s office was called Aug. 31, 2011, to the high school to look into “inappropriate activities by a female teacher with a 17-year-old male student,” Sheriff Ken Furlong told the Nevada Appeal at the time.

A warrant was issued for Dalton’s arrest Oct. 23 last year, and she turned herself in the next day.

The offense carries a penalty of one to five years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. Dalton will not have to register as a sex offender if found guilty.

If she were to be convicted, the Nevada Department of Education would file a petition to have her teaching license revoked because of both the felony conviction and the nature of the offense. The petition would go through the Attorney General’s Office and the final decision would be made by the State Board of Education, according to the Office of Teacher Licensure under the Nevada Department of Education.