South Dakota teacher resigns after inviting a registered sex offender to 1st grade classroom

A South Dakota school board accepted the resignation of a 1st grade teacher who let a registered sex offender speak to the class.

During a special meeting Wednesday, the Elkton School Board voted unanimously to accept Taylor Thompson’s resignation but rejected the resignation of Superintendent Brian Jandahl over the same incident.

On April 16, Andrew Polly was charged with loitering at an Elkton district school, punishable by up to two years in prison, a $4,000 fine or both.

Polly, an acquaintance of Thompson’s, was convicted of felony sexual contact with a minor younger than 16 when he was 20.

In a letter to both staff and parents on April 18, Jandahl clarified Polly wasn’t loitering but had been invited to the school by a staff member.

Jandahl said Polly was always under supervision while interacting with students. The district further said hosting him as a guest speaker wasn’t a threat to student safety, noting Polly’s felony offense occurred when he was 20 and involved a 15-year-old, according to WLBT.  

During the school board meeting’s public comment session, many spoke in favor of retaining Jandahl as superintendent.  

“Mr. Jandahl has given 18 years of professionalism to this school and even in the community,” one speaker said. “Mr. Jandahl has done what is best for education and the safety of our students and staff. I don’t think this is how we want Mr. Jandahl to go out.” 

Others said the teacher and Jandahl needed to be held accountable for their mistake, KSFY reported. 

In the end, the board accepted Thompson’s resignation but retained Jandahl as superintendent. Despite the decision, Jandahl announced his intention to retire after the 2024-25 school year. 

The board also commenced the initial review of new policies regarding sex offenders and guest speakers, aiming to prevent similar incidents in the future. 

Polly is scheduled to appear in court on May 20.