Teacher Accused Of Indecency With Student

11:44 p.m. CST January 28, 2004 - An honors geography teacher from Coppell High School is facing charges of indecency with a child.

Dwayne Masengill (pictured) turned himself in to authorities Wednesday afternoon. He is accused of sexually abusing a female student.

Masengill was escorted from the building and placed on administrative leave pending further investigation. Police said the 15-year-old accuser claimed the assault took place two weeks ago at the high school during a morning tutoring session. According to the arrest affidavit, Masengill is charged with indecency with child sexual contact.

The student told police Masengill exposed himself and asked her to massage him. Masengill's attorney, Ted Steinke, calls the allegation outrageous and says the suspect will vigorously defend himself against it.

"This kind of allegation against a teacher may make it impossible for him to return to the classroom regardless of what happens in the courtroom," Steinke said. "This is a teacher's worst nightmare. I mean, teachers fear every day that a student that has been punished or scolded is going to make an allegation."

Up until this point, Masengill had a great reputation. The school does background checks on all teachers every two years. Masengill's most recent background check was completed in December, and there was nothing criminal in his record.