A teacher at a Christian High School in Grandville, Michigan, was charged with criminal sexual behavior for touching a student under the age of 18 without permission.
57-year-old Michael Hoekwater was arrested last Thursday after the Grandville Police Department was told of “an incident of improper touching between a teacher and a student.” He is a science teacher at Grandview Calvin Christian High School.
The prosecutor’s office in Kent County charged Hoekwater with two counts of criminal sexual behavior in the fourth degree. He was charged on Friday and given a $50,000 bond. He has a court date next Monday in the 59th District Court.
His LinkedIn page says that Hoekwater taught chemistry, biology, and algebra at the school for 35 years. He went to the University of Michigan and Calvin College. There are 60 teachers and more than 900 kids at Grandville Calvin Christian.
FOX 17 got copies of court papers that show Hoekwater may have dated a 17-year-old student. A student told police that they talked to each other alone in Hoekwater’s classroom and started to like each other.
Reports say Hoekwater admitted to having an inappropriate relationship with the student that included touching. He said that the relationship made him feel “young again,” says the court document.
In a message sent Thursday, the school told parents that Hoekwater had been arrested. He “crossed professional boundaries toward a high school student,” according to the letter. He has been put on administrative leave while the school investigates and works with the police.
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