SEHS teacher accused of having relationship with student

Article Photos

NEW ULM - A Sleepy Eye High School English teacher is accused of having sexual contact with one of his students.

Calvin Clifford Collum II, 47, of 1112 S. German St., New Ulm, was arrested by New Ulm Police at his home on Wednesday afternoon. A charge of Third Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct involving a person in position of authority was filed Thursday in Brown County District Court against Collum.

Collum could not be reached for comment Thursday evening.

According to a criminal complaint, Collum is accused of having the relationship with the 16-year-old female student between Feb. 1 and Mar. 10, 2009, while he was teaching English at Sleepy Eye High School.

Classmates reportedly noticed Collum spending "significant amounts of time with the student. They were frequently text messaging and talking over the Internet. On more than one occasion, the student asked her friends to cover for her so she could spend the weekend at Collum's residence. The student did admit to engaging in intercourse at Collum's house within the past two weeks," said a press release from the New Ulm Police Department.

The complaint said the school suspended Collum with pay from teaching while it conducted its own internal investigation. Police became involved after a citizen tipped them off about the relationship.

According to the NUPD, classmates said Collum and the student made plans to leave the area and move out of state and have children together.

According to the criminal complaint, they were going to go to Connecticut when she turned 19.

Sleepy Public Schools Superintendent Arla Dockter would not comment Thursday on what the district is doing with regard to the allegation.

The maximum penalty for the offense for which Collum is charged is 15 year incarceration and up to a $30,000 fine.

Collum was arraigned Thursday morning for a bail hearing. Judge Richard Jessen set unconditional bail at $100,000 and conditional bail at $25,000, the conditions for which include that Collum would have no direct or indirect contact in private areas with the alleged victim or females under age 18, with the exception of his own children, or as probation allows, and that Collum cooperate with Project Nighthawk with an ll p.m. curfew.

Staff at the Brown County jail said Thursday night that he was released on bail at approximately 5 p.m.