Teacher hired despite inappropriate student relationship
A former AP physics teacher, Kevin Kukla, was hired as an adjunct instructor at Shoreline Community College despite being investigated for an inappropriate relationship with a student. The case highlights the need for stronger laws to prevent educators who resign under investigation from moving to other classrooms.
Kevin Kukla, a 47-year-old former AP physics teacher at Henry M. Jackson High School in Everett, was investigated by the Mill Creek Police Department in April 2024 for receiving a back massage from an 18-year-old student in his locked classroom. Text messages between Kukla and the student revealed a close relationship, but the police investigation was closed due to lack of evidence. Kukla resigned in June 2024 amid a school district investigation. He was later hired as an adjunct instructor at Shoreline Community College. A review of text messages and investigation documents showed that school leaders and law enforcement failed to recognize common sexual grooming behaviors displayed by Kukla. Everett Public Schools signed a separation agreement with Kukla containing a confidentiality clause, which is supposed to be banned under a 2004 state law. The case highlights the need for stronger state and federal laws to prevent educators who resign under investigation from moving to other classrooms. Advocates point to cases like Kukla's to call for action to protect students.
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