Former Alburnett teacher has license revoked for inappropriate relationship with a student

Adam Macke, who taught language arts in the Alburnett School Community District, has had his teaching license revoked by the state for having an inappropriate relationship with a student.

Macke had been teaching for Alburnett Schools as recently as last school year.

Newly released records from the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners show it was Alburnett Schools' superintendent Danielle Trimble and a secondary principal in the district who made the complaint against Macke to the state. Their complaint is what set in motion an investigation that led to Macke's Iowa teaching license being stripped away.

Records say during the 2017-2018 school year, Macke "solicited and encouraged an inappropriate relationship" with a student who was a junior at the time.

Among the issues investigators found included a series of text messages where Macke and the student expressed their affection for one another.

Macke the report notes even went as far as to tell the student he planned to get a divorce.

Another teacher mentioned in the report says he once walked in on Macke and the student sitting so close behind a desk in Macke's classroom it made him uncomfortable.

Macke admitted to the BOEE he would hug or put his arm around the student in question but he later defended his actions in an email he sent to Superintendent Trimble. Macke explained in part that allowing the student to sit close to him, "...didn't bother me and seemed to help her feel better. I didn't think about the perceptions others might have." Macke added that he and the student also talked about how they "must not, under any circumstance, become physical, outside of a brief hug..."

The Linn County Sheriff's Office also found 17 calls between the student and Macke. One call was for 105 minutes.

In the end, authorities chose not to turn the case over to the Linn County Attorney's office, citing that while they found Macke to have allowed for the relationship to extend beyond a normal teacher/student relationship, there was, in their view, not a "physical/romantic relationship". The Sheriff's Office said the case was subsequently closed.

Linn County Sheriff Brian Gardner said he is confident his office did a "thorough" investigation into Macke and that law enforcement agencies require a higher burden of proof of illegal activity before they can take action than the BOEE is subject to.

Macke was placed on leave by the district in December 2017.

Superintendent Trimble declined an interview request but said in an email the district did not fire Macke nor force him to resign.

Mackle did respond to requests for comment.