Memphis-area teacher charged after alleged sexual messages to 17-year-old student, bond set at $15,000

Arrest follows complaint alleging sexual communication between teacher and student

A 24-year-old teacher has been arrested in Memphis and charged with criminal attempt of statutory rape by an authority figure following allegations of sexual communication with a 17-year-old student, court records show.

The charge stems from a complaint filed Friday, Feb. 14, 2025, alleging inappropriate communication between the teacher, identified in charging documents as Donald Fitzgerald, and a student at the school where he was employed. The complaint was initiated after a parent reported finding a sexually explicit message on the student’s phone.

Investigators allege solicitation and efforts to delete messages

Investigators interviewed Fitzgerald on Sunday following the complaint. In a statement to investigators, Fitzgerald acknowledged soliciting the student for sexual intercourse, records state.

Records also indicate Fitzgerald admitted he told the student to delete their text message conversations so they would not be discovered and that he deleted messages from his own phone.

The case is being handled as an alleged authority-figure offense, which carries added legal consequences under Tennessee law when the accused holds a position of trust over a minor.

Custody status and next steps in the case

Fitzgerald was taken into custody following the interview, and bond was set at $15,000. As of the latest publicly available records reviewed by the memphis.news newsroom, no additional charges beyond criminal attempt of statutory rape by an authority figure were confirmed in the same filing referenced for the arrest.

The affidavit summarized in available records did not publicly identify the school by name in the charging narrative. Separately maintained athletic participation listings associated Fitzgerald with coaching duties at a Memphis-area school during the same period. School officials had been contacted for comment at the time the records were reported, and no public response was reflected in the case materials available for review.

Key verified points from the case record

• The student referenced in the complaint was 17 years old at the time described in the affidavit.
• The complaint was filed Feb. 14, 2025, after a parent reported discovering a sexual message on the student’s phone.
• Investigators interviewed the teacher on Sunday following the complaint, and records state he admitted to soliciting the student for sex.
• Records state he admitted instructing the student to delete messages and deleting messages himself.
• Bond was set at $15,000 following the arrest.

The case remains in the early stages of the court process. Formal determinations on the allegations will be made through subsequent hearings and any future filings in the criminal proceeding.