Atlantic High School Sexual Abuse Victim Paid $200k by Volusia Schools

A victim of a sexual abuse by a teacher at two Volusia County high schools will be receiving a $200,000 payout from the Volusia County School Board, thanks to an agreement reached this week. The perpetrator, 44-year-old Arin Hankerd, taught at Atlantic High School in Port Orange and at Mainland High School in Daytona Beach. According to prosecutors, Hankerd engaged in inappropriate relationships with several students while he was employed by Volusia County Schools. He was said to have given attention to the students to boost their confidence, and then used that trust to initiate sexual actions. The victim in this case had alleged that Hankerd engaged in molestation at multiple locations within Atlantic High School. The alleged liability of the district was that they did not properly address the reports of Hankerd’s misconduct when it was first made aware. Complaints originated in 2019, while Hankerd maintained his job all the way up to his initial arrest in February 2023. In May 2024, Hankerd was sentenced to 21 years in prison for his crimes. He’d been charged with multiple counts of molestation, plus other charges such as traveling to meet a minor, offense against a student by an authority figure, and unlawful sexual activity with a minor by an authority figure among others. Upon his release, Hankerd will spend 30 years on sex offender probation and will be designated as a sexual predator.