Idaho teacher and LGBT activist arrested on charges of raping 16-year-old boy

McDermott, who taught World Studies 8 and AP Human Geography, and coached basketball at Fairmont Junior High School, was also an outspoken LGBT activist.

According to the Idaho Statesman, McDermott contacted the former student via a "dating hookup site" in 2020 and after sharing numerous nude photos of himself, took the teen back to his home and allegedly sexually assaulted him.

The now-former teacher is set to appear in court on April 27, and is currently being held on $1 million bail.

As KTVB reports, Boise School District spokesman Dan Hollar sent a letter to staff and parents at Fairmont High notifying them of McDermott's arrest and assuring them that he had been immediately placed on administrative leave.

"We understand that this news will raise concerns about student safety, and we want to assure our families that the District is fully cooperating with law enforcement and prosecutors as they investigate this matter," Hollar said, noting that because it was a "personnel and legal matter," he could not provide any information outside of what had already been made public.

Following McDermott's arrest, the Idaho Tribune dug into his past and revealed that he had been a prominent LGBT activist. He volunteered with the Pride Foundation's Idaho Leadership Action Team, and appeared in numerous photographs the organization published to social media.

On McDermott's social media, he openly discussed "youth outreach," and the Tribune noted that he traveled all over the state attending drag shows and pride events in search of "volunteers" as young as sixteen. He also promoted sexually explicit literature aimed at teens via an online forum Goodreads, revealing that he made copies of a book series available to his junior high school students to borrow, the same series he conceded is "probably a bit more mature for this group's target audience overall."

In one Facebook post from 2018, McDermott was seen volunteering with Pride Foundation Idaho at Moscow, Idaho’s Palouse Pride day.

Another post from 2019 revealed that McDermott was a volunteer with the Pride Foundation’s Idaho Leadership Action Team.

The Ada County Prosecutor's Office told The Post Millennial that they could not comment on ongoing litigation.