During his short tenure at Long County High School, former assistant band director and choral activities director Michael Loredo had a number of problems that caused his supervisors concern, including discussing a female student’s menstrual cycle and taking two female students in his personal vehicle on an unauthorized overnight trip to Savannah, according to his Long County School System personnel file.

Despite those problems, the personnel file, which the Coastal Courier obtained Thursday under the Georgia Open Records Act, indicates that school administrators had no reason at the time to believe Loredo was engaging in sexual misconduct with students — a crime with which he was charged April 21.

Loredo, 26, whom the Brantley County Jail lists as having a Waycross address, has been charged with one count of sexual assault against a person in custody in Brantley County and another count in Long County. His home is in Brantley County, where the Georgia Bureau of Investigation says at least one sexual encounter with a student took place.

A GBI news release issued April 21 says additional warrants are forthcoming in several jurisdictions where the various incidents are said to have occurred, include Loredo’s home, a Long County High classroom and a hotel while attending a band function.

Long County sheriff’s Detective Nicky Anderson has said the girls range in age from 17 to 18.

The sexual assault against a person in custody charge refers to the “custodial” relationship teachers have with students. Although the age of consent in Georgia is 16, the sexual assault charge applies regardless of age in a custodial relationship.

The Courier Herald of Dublin reported April 22 that the Dublin Police Department issued an arrest warrant charging Loredo with one count of sexual assault of a person in custody. The newspaper reported that the incident that led to the warrant occurred at Dublin High School while he was band director there, during the 2014-15 school year.

The newspaper also reported April 20 that Dublin City Schools Superintendent Fred Williams contacted Dublin Police Chief Tim Chatman about Loredo. The school system also released a statement asking that “anyone who may have been a potential victim of this suspected individual” contact Dublin police, according to the Courier Herald.

The Coastal Courier could not immediately locate an attorney representing Loredo for comment.

Personnel file

According to Loredo’s personnel file, the Long County School System hired him before the 2015-16 school year after he worked as director of bands and director of dramatic arts at Dublin High School, system music head and assistant to the Dublin Middle School band. He also has worked as director of music at First United Methodist Church in Brunswick and director of music ministries at First United Methodist Church in Rockmart, according to his résumé.

On Sept. 9, 2015, slightly more than a month after the school year started, Long County High School Principal David Edwards sent Loredo a letter criticizing him for being late to school seven times, including missing a required professional development session and a pre-evaluation conference.

In a Jan. 12 email, Edwards noted that Loredo had been late 12 times.

The warnings then began to escalate, according to the personnel records.

Inappropriate discussion

A Feb. 5 letter from Edwards to Loredo said Loredo “went back and forth” with a student during a parent conference and “failed to apologize or admit … wrongdoing concerning the incidents.”

Those incidents were, Edwards wrote: “(1) discussion of menstrual cycle in class, (2) standing a high school student in the corner (3) a discussion about the event after the parent conference.”

“It is highly inappropriate for you to have an open discussion with students concerning their menstrual cycle,” Edwards wrote. “That is not your job or responsibility. Also, the manner in which you handled the issue was embarrassing and humiliating to the student. Moreover, we do not stand students in the corner at the high school as that is a form of humiliation in front of their peers.”

The principal said in the letter that Loredo was defensive about the incident and criticism of the times he was late to school.

“Neither your teaching ability nor talent are in question here,” Edwards wrote. “The chorus is doing a great job. The problem is the professionalism and arrogant attitude. These are not the characteristics we look for in our faculty.”

Unauthorized overnight stay

In a Feb. 23 letter, Edwards raised several concerns about a trip Loredo took to the District Honor Band at Armstrong State University in Savannah. The principal wrote that a second student attended the event “without permission or approval from Long County High School. The parents of this student were under the impression the absence was school sponsored.”

Edwards said the trip was overnight.

“This was not clearly noted on the competition trip request,” the principal wrote. “Usually, a trip to Savannah would not be overnight due to the close proximity.”

Edwards also wrote that Loredo allowed “two female students to ride with you in your own personal vehicle.”

“This is completely unacceptable,” the principal wrote, emphasizing that Loredo needed to accurately tell the school which students would attend future trips and whether the trip would be overnight. “Moreover, it is improper for a male teacher to be alone in the company of two female students.”

Sexual misconduct

A document concerning the school’s investigation of allegations that Loredo engaged in sexual misconduct with students was also included in his personnel file.

Dated April 14, the document says that on April 13, school “administrators were made aware of students talking about an inappropriate relationship between a student and a teacher. We immediately began investigating.” A GBI agent and a Long County sheriff’s investigator also investigated on campus.

“Upon the allegations, Mr. Loredo was immediately sent home on paid administrative leave while the investigation continued,” the document says.

On April 14, Loredo met with School System Superintendent Dr. Robert Waters, Chief Academic Officer Dr. Kathy Simmons and Edwards. Loredo submitted his resignation, and the district served him a “notice of separation,” according to the document.

Under “administrative findings,” the document says Loredo engaged in a sex act with a female student during the overnight trip for which he had earlier been reprimanded.

“At the time of this earlier investigation, there was no evidence of any inappropriate relationships,” the document says.

Another incident occurred in Loredo’s home, according to the district investigation.

And another sex act took place during an overnight trip in Savannah, the district’s document says. A female student told administrators that she and another female student and Loredo “were anticipating the sexual relationship before going on the trip,” according to the document.

The document adds that Loredo and the students shared “many inappropriate conversations and inappropriate pictures” via Snapchat and texts. One of the students, the document says, “shared that Mr. Loredo constantly coached them to ‘delete, delete, delete’ concerning these communications.”

During his short tenure at Long County High School, former assistant band director and choral activities director Michael Loredo had a number of problems that caused his supervisors concern, including discussing a female student’s menstrual cycle and taking two female students in his personal vehicle on an unauthorized overnight trip to Savannah, according to his Long County School System personnel file.

Despite those problems, the personnel file, which the Coastal Courier obtained Thursday under the Georgia Open Records Act, indicates that school administrators had no reason at the time to believe Loredo was engaging in sexual misconduct with students — a crime with which he was charged April 21.

Loredo, 26, whom the Brantley County Jail lists as having a Waycross address, has been charged with one count of sexual assault against a person in custody in Brantley County and another count in Long County. His home is in Brantley County, where the Georgia Bureau of Investigation says at least one sexual encounter with a student took place.

A GBI news release issued April 21 says additional warrants are forthcoming in several jurisdictions where the various incidents are said to have occurred, include Loredo’s home, a Long County High classroom and a hotel while attending a band function.

Long County sheriff’s Detective Nicky Anderson has said the girls range in age from 17 to 18.

The sexual assault against a person in custody charge refers to the “custodial” relationship teachers have with students. Although the age of consent in Georgia is 16, the sexual assault charge applies regardless of age in a custodial relationship.

The Courier Herald of Dublin reported April 22 that the Dublin Police Department issued an arrest warrant charging Loredo with one count of sexual assault of a person in custody. The newspaper reported that the incident that led to the warrant occurred at Dublin High School while he was band director there, during the 2014-15 school year.

The newspaper also reported April 20 that Dublin City Schools Superintendent Fred Williams contacted Dublin Police Chief Tim Chatman about Loredo. The school system also released a statement asking that “anyone who may have been a potential victim of this suspected individual” contact Dublin police, according to the Courier Herald.

The Coastal Courier could not immediately locate an attorney representing Loredo for comment.

Personnel file

According to Loredo’s personnel file, the Long County School System hired him before the 2015-16 school year after he worked as director of bands and director of dramatic arts at Dublin High School, system music head and assistant to the Dublin Middle School band. He also has worked as director of music at First United Methodist Church in Brunswick and director of music ministries at First United Methodist Church in Rockmart, according to his résumé.

On Sept. 9, 2015, slightly more than a month after the school year started, Long County High School Principal David Edwards sent Loredo a letter criticizing him for being late to school seven times, including missing a required professional development session and a pre-evaluation conference.

In a Jan. 12 email, Edwards noted that Loredo had been late 12 times.

The warnings then began to escalate, according to the personnel records.

Inappropriate discussion

A Feb. 5 letter from Edwards to Loredo said Loredo “went back and forth” with a student during a parent conference and “failed to apologize or admit … wrongdoing concerning the incidents.”

Those incidents were, Edwards wrote: “(1) discussion of menstrual cycle in class, (2) standing a high school student in the corner (3) a discussion about the event after the parent conference.”

“It is highly inappropriate for you to have an open discussion with students concerning their menstrual cycle,” Edwards wrote. “That is not your job or responsibility. Also, the manner in which you handled the issue was embarrassing and humiliating to the student. Moreover, we do not stand students in the corner at the high school as that is a form of humiliation in front of their peers.”

The principal said in the letter that Loredo was defensive about the incident and criticism of the times he was late to school.

“Neither your teaching ability nor talent are in question here,” Edwards wrote. “The chorus is doing a great job. The problem is the professionalism and arrogant attitude. These are not the characteristics we look for in our faculty.”

Unauthorized overnight stay

In a Feb. 23 letter, Edwards raised several concerns about a trip Loredo took to the District Honor Band at Armstrong State University in Savannah. The principal wrote that a second student attended the event “without permission or approval from Long County High School. The parents of this student were under the impression the absence was school sponsored.”

Edwards said the trip was overnight.

“This was not clearly noted on the competition trip request,” the principal wrote. “Usually, a trip to Savannah would not be overnight due to the close proximity.”

Edwards also wrote that Loredo allowed “two female students to ride with you in your own personal vehicle.”

“This is completely unacceptable,” the principal wrote, emphasizing that Loredo needed to accurately tell the school which students would attend future trips and whether the trip would be overnight. “Moreover, it is improper for a male teacher to be alone in the company of two female students.”

Sexual misconduct

A document concerning the school’s investigation of allegations that Loredo engaged in sexual misconduct with students was also included in his personnel file.

Dated April 14, the document says that on April 13, school “administrators were made aware of students talking about an inappropriate relationship between a student and a teacher. We immediately began investigating.” A GBI agent and a Long County sheriff’s investigator also investigated on campus.

“Upon the allegations, Mr. Loredo was immediately sent home on paid administrative leave while the investigation continued,” the document says.

On April 14, Loredo met with School System Superintendent Dr. Robert Waters, Chief Academic Officer Dr. Kathy Simmons and Edwards. Loredo submitted his resignation, and the district served him a “notice of separation,” according to the document.

Under “administrative findings,” the document says Loredo engaged in a sex act with a female student during the overnight trip for which he had earlier been reprimanded.

“At the time of this earlier investigation, there was no evidence of any inappropriate relationships,” the document says.

Another incident occurred in Loredo’s home, according to the district investigation.

And another sex act took place during an overnight trip in Savannah, the district’s document says. A female student told administrators that she and another female student and Loredo “were anticipating the sexual relationship before going on the trip,” according to the document.

The document adds that Loredo and the students shared “many inappropriate conversations and inappropriate pictures” via Snapchat and texts. One of the students, the document says, “shared that Mr. Loredo constantly coached them to ‘delete, delete, delete’ concerning these communications.”