Esquivel

A former Marshalltown Community School District teacher has filed a notice of intent to plead guilty to charges that he interacted inappropriately with a 17-year-old student while employed as an instructor and coach.

Mark Edward Farris Esquivel, 27, was scheduled to begin a bench trial on Tuesday morning at the Orpheum Theatre before the notice of intent was filed by attorney Chad Frese on Monday. A plea hearing is now set for Friday, Dec. 16, at 9 a.m. at 107 S. 1st Ave. in Marshalltown.

Esquivel, who taught physical education at Marshalltown High School, was arrested and charged with sexual exploitation by a school employee, a Class D felony, on June 30, 2021. According to a criminal complaint filed by the Marshalltown Police Department, he “did, between April 1, 2021, and June 24, 2021, engage in a pattern or practice or scheme of conduct through personal contact, social media contact and or phone contact in an attempt to engage in sexual contact with a minor student with whom he was charged to instruct or coach.”

Esquivel was one of three MCSD staff members charged with inappropriate behavior toward students over the span of a month during the summer of 2021, and the other two — former Miller Middle School English teacher Adam Edgington and former Associate Principal William Terry — were both found dead shortly after warrants for their arrests were announced.

In response to a request for comment, MCSD Communications Director Adam Sodders issued a statement about the case and efforts to prevent similar situations from arising in the future on behalf of the district.

“Because student safety is our top priority, the Marshalltown Community School District has dedicated significant effort toward reviewing and, wherever possible, improving our processes and procedures in several areas. The District has provided all staff with training regarding social media and appropriate student-staff boundaries through Ahlers & Cooney, PC, and continues to require that all certified staff are up-to-date on the AEA Ethics for Educators course. The District has also re-affirmed that all staff-student electronic communications are to take place using official District channels, such as the Remind app, Infinite Campus, and applications within MCSD’s Google Workspace,” the statement read. “A review of the District’s hiring and internal processes has been conducted, and staff continue to be provided with additional training that goes above and beyond what is required by the state. Additionally, the District has worked with the Child Abuse Prevention Services (CAPS) Center in Marshalltown to review the specialized programming they have provided to our students, ensuring that all students are informed about reporting — and empowered to seek help — if they have a concern.”

Marshalltown Police Chief Mike Tupper told the T-R he would wait to comment until after the outcome of the case had been finalized.