Farmington teacher faces assault charges for unpaid leave

FARMINGTON — A Farmington High School agriculture teacher is on administrative leave without pay following his arrest related to second-degree sexual assault, according to Superintendent Jon Laffoon.

Clayton Sallee, 39, of Lincoln, is accused of sexually assaulting a minor who was a student at his school on or about Sept. 10, according to Washington County court records.

Sallee was arrested by Farmington police on Monday, October 7, and taken to the Washington County Detention Center on $25,000 bail. He was released about four hours later with a court no-contact order. His arraignment is scheduled for Oct. 21 in Washington County Circuit Court.

Farmington police referred all questions to the district attorney’s office, which denied a Freedom of Information request because the case involved a minor.

[COMMENT FROM FARMINGTON SCHOOL DISTRICT: nwaonline.com/1009farmingtonstatement/]

According to school administrators, Sallee has worked for Farmington High School for 12 years.

The Farmington School District released a statement following Sallee’s arrest the next day, Oct. 8, saying the administration had received an allegation in September that a district employee had engaged in inappropriate behavior toward a student. The employee is not named in the statement.

The district immediately contacted Farmington police and reported the allegation to the Arkansas Child Maltreatment Hotline, the statement said.

The employee was immediately placed on leave and has not returned to school. That employee was arrested Oct. 7 in connection with the case, according to the statement.

No further details could be disclosed, the statement said.