Former Teacher and Coach Pleads Guilty to Simple Battery After Charges of Sexual Conduct with Student
Gregory Fontenot Jr., a former teacher and coach at Lafayette Christian Academy, has pleaded guilty to simple battery and has been ordered to pay a fine of less than $500. He was initially charged with sexual conduct involving a 17-year-old student.
Fontenot, 35, who previously lived in Duson and now resides in Florida, was arrested in February 2022 on four misdemeanor charges: sexual conduct between an educator and a student, two counts of misdemeanor sexual battery, and simple battery.
In September, Fontenot pleaded guilty to simple battery, while the other charges were dropped by the district attorney’s office. As part of his sentence, he was fined $250 and ordered to pay $243 in court costs.
In addition to the criminal case, the student filed a civil lawsuit in November 2021 against Lafayette Christian Academy, The Family Church, and Fontenot. Later, the lawsuit also named The Hanover Insurance Company and The Hanover American Insurance Company as defendants.
According to the lawsuit, Fontenot taught the student two classes from August 2021 until November 28, 2021. During this time, the student claims he groomed her for a sexual relationship by asking personal questions and making inappropriate comments about her looks in class.
The student alleges that Fontenot inappropriately touched her twice by grabbing her buttocks as she left his classroom. She also claims that in November 2021, he told her he thought she was attractive and wanted to “hook up” with her.
Furthermore, the lawsuit alleges that while driving to Tennessee with his wife asleep in the car, Fontenot exchanged text messages with the student for three hours. This texting ended when his wife woke up and discovered the situation.
The student contends that Fontenot used his position at the school to manipulate her, leading her to trust him and engage in sexual conversations.
