Students react to South Bend teacher charged with rape

SOUTH BEND, Ind. --- A Michiana science teacher turned himself into La Porte authorities today — after being charged with raping one of his students.

35-year-old John Doty has been on staff at the Career Academy in South Bend since last year.

He’s accused of child seduction, rape, and more involving a 16-year-old girl at his school.

“I didn’t believe this at first because this was a teacher I trusted, and he was in school environment where I thought I’d be safe," said a current student at Career Academy.

A classmate tells ABC57, the victim tried to warn her and teachers that Doty would have inappropriate conversations with students.

“He had actually said that he imagined me and the victim having sexual intercourse while he would watch," said a current student at Career Academy.

Doty previously taught and was a swim coach at La Porte High School before teaching at Career Academy in South Bend.

A former student at La Porte High suspected inappropriate relationships between Doty and female athletes.

“They would talk about how they would text him like personally and stuff. They would meet with him outside of school and have meetings and they would come to his class all the time," said a previous student at La Porte High School.

The teacher was released on a $25,000 bond Wednesday, but students say they hope this makes the school take sexual allegations more seriously.

“I had a few times where teachers would tell me that they would report him to the school, and they didn’t do anything. And if they just simply like listened to those reports this may have never had happened," said a current student at Career Academy.

ABC57 is still waiting to learn from school officials if any previous complaints have been filed against this teacher. Right now, that’s still unknown. However, we were able to obtain a letter sent to parents saying the school has placed Doty on administrative leave pending the investigation.