A former western Iowa teacher has been arrested and charged with indecent contact with half a dozen students.
Someone notified the Sheriff’s Office in Harrison County on April 22 that Benjamin J. Work, a teacher in the West Harrison School District in Mondamin, had inappropriate contact with a minor student. Work was immediately placed on administrative leave.
Work’s Linkedin profile indicates he had been the music director for the district since 2013. According to the Iowa Department of Public Health, investigators found Work had acted inappropriately with six students — all under the age of 18 — during this just-concluded school year.
Work resigned from his job earlier this month. He was arrested Friday and charged with five counts of Sexual Exploitation by a School Employee, five counts of Lascivious Conduct with a Minor and two counts of Indecent Contact with a Child.
The West Harrison School District has a total K-12 enrollment of about 300 students.