TROY, Mich. – An Avondale High School teacher has been charged with having an affair with a 15-year-old female student 19 years ago, officials said.
Aaron Donaghy, 47, was arraigned Tuesday on three counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct. He's still a teacher in the Avondale School District, but he's been on administrative leave since the allegations were made about 10 months ago.
Since then, Donaghy and his family have moved to Texas, sources told Local 4. But he returned to Troy to turn himself in.
Police said Donaghy never provided his side of the story during a 10-month investigation. On Tuesday, after having his mugshot taken at the Troy Police Department, Donaghy ignored Local 4's invitation to comment and drove away.
The incident was first reported to law enforcement in December 2017.
"The victim was 15 years old and a student at AHS, and the suspect was 27 and a teacher at AHS," Troy police Sgt. Meghan Lehman said.
Police said Donaghy has been a biology, economics and leadership teacher at Avondale High School since 1997. He was also the varsity girls soccer coach at Rochester High School.
Police said Donaghy had an affair with the girl in 1999.
"We don't call it consensual because she was 15 years old," Lehman said. "She can't consent. It was a relationship that perhaps evolved from a friendship and a mentoring-type thing into this sexual relationship."
Police were contacted by the Avondale district immediately after the woman, who is now in her 30s, came forward to the school, according to officials.
"She was inspired by other people coming forward, so she felt this was something that needed to be addressed since he was around other people that are her age when she was the victim," Lehman said.
Police said the alleged crime happened at a Troy apartment complex where Donaghy lived in 1999.
Donaghy's lawyer said his client is "absolutely completely innocent."