Former Pecatonica HS teacher charged with sexually abusing student, criminal complaint says

BLANDCHARDVILLE, Wis. (WMTV) – A former Pecatonica High School English teacher accused of sexually abusing a student and exposing three other children to harmful material appeared in court Thursday morning.

A 51-page criminal complaint has been released detailing 27-year-old Rick Hendrickson's alleged interactions with students.

The complaint states that a student sent a text message to a teacher on February 15 claiming that Hendrickson had groped him.

The student said he wanted to text the teacher he reported the allegations to because he didn't feel comfortable telling her out loud. According to the complaint, the teacher said the student wasn't serious and was close to laughing when she confronted him about it, but the student seemed embarrassed. The complaint goes on to describe how another teacher reported the student's allegations to administration.

The teacher to whom the student reported the incident says she taught Hendrickson when he attended Pecatonica High School. The teacher who reported the allegations to the school's administration says he went to school with Hendrickson.

Police conducted several interviews with students and teachers. During questioning, Hendrickson admitted that he had joked with students more than he should have. In the complaint, Hendrickson tells officers that he could not have had this interaction with the student because the student was holding a clipboard and keys.

Hendrickson said his conversation with the student was seen on surveillance video.

In his interview, the student reported that he was groped during physical education class when Hendrickson's substitute teacher was teaching his class. The complaint states that he felt “a little uncomfortable.”

A third teacher reported that Hendrickson made an inappropriate comment to sophomore students during English class on February 12.

The former English teacher was placed on leave on February 20. Less than a month later, on March 15, he resigned.

The Wisconsin Department of Education told WMTV 15 News that Hendrickson's teaching license is currently under investigation. His substitute teaching license expired in June.

Hendrickson's first appearance is scheduled for the end of September.

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