Dripping Springs Middle School teacher charged with inappropriate communication with students

Kevin McLean, a 30-year-old teacher and coach at Dripping Springs Middle School, has been arrested after allegedly communicating inappropriately with a minor.

McLean was taken into custody on seven arrest warrants in a coordinated effort between the Hays County Sheriff's Office, the Austin Police Department and Dripping Springs ISD. The former employee has since resigned and will not return to any DSISD campus.

The sheriff's office said McLean is facing four class A misdemeanor charges and three second-degree felony charges, all of which are related to selling, distributing or displaying harmful material and controlled substances to a minor.

A search warrant for McLean's cell phone found McLean having alleged improper relationships with three 12-to-14-year-old female students. The district said it placed McLean on leave April 27 and sent a note to the middle school community, including contacting the families involved.

The search warrant said that a family member of the suspect first called Austin police after witnessing alleged Snapchat messages between the suspect and the three female students, including one picture in which a student was possibly wearing “very short under-shorts,” on April 26. The officer involved later found nine recent messages between the suspect and students, one of which included a picture that was “consistent with mushrooms associated with narcotics use" with plans to meet up.

A parent of one of the students also offered an audio recording in which their daughter describes inappropriate Snapchat messages from the teacher, including a sexually explicit video. McLean also sent a picture that said, "time to get high AF" while offering her his THC vape pen, according to the recording. The student said she'd also seen a sexually explicit video that was sent to a third student.

The district told KXAN it will continue to investigate the situation. According to the district, McLean was hired in August 2020 after passing a background check required for all employees.

“[We] know these types of situations can be concerning,” DSISD officials said in a letter to parents. “Please know that it is always our priority and responsibility to provide your students with a safe and professional learning environment.”