Seattle high school science teacher charged on multiple counts of ‘sexual misconduct with a minor’

Pawares “Mac” Pathompornvivat, a Franklin High School science teacher was arrested at the school on February 17. According to court documents obtained by The Post Millennial, he posted $100,000 bail the following day.

“Mr. Mac” was charged Thursday with two counts of first-degree sexual misconduct with a minor. According to charging papers Mac had sex “on multiple occasions with a student in various places around the city of Seattle including the student’s home” and his cars during the first two weeks of the month.

In addition, Mac allegedly “exchanged 3000 text messages, including sexually explicit text messages with the 16-year-old over the course of a few short weeks. When the defendant learned that the teenage victim had reported the sexual abuse the defendant wanted her to call him to ‘get our stories straight.’”

Senior Deputy Prosecutor Emily Petersen wrote in charging papers, “The defendant abused his position of trust and authority as a Seattle Public School high school teacher by having sexual intercourse on multiple occasions with a student.”

She added, “the defendant told the victim that he had previously had a sexual relationship with another student, and whether there are other victims of the defendant remains under investigation.”

Franklin High School Principal Joseph Williams III wrote in an email Sunday to parents at the school, that staff responded quickly after receiving a report that a teacher had engaged in inappropriate conduct with a student.

Williams added that the staff member was put on leave and barred from entering any Seattle Public Schools buildings, attending school events, contacting students, their families, and school staff, and then the district launched an internal investigation that “will collaborate with the Seattle Police Department.”

On Feb. 17 Williams called 911 and reported a sexual assault involving a student. According to charging documents, Seattle police went to the school, where the 16-year-old girl identified as LS in court documents told officers she had been involved in a sexual relationship with Pathompornvivat since Feb. 2 and showed officers the text thread between her and the teacher. She claimed they first exchanged phone numbers in January after she brought him a birthday present. The pair allegedly had multiple sexual encounters and according to the documents, Pathompornvivat drove LS to the mall on Feb. 8 to buy her sexual accessories, including handcuffs.

Following the death of George Floyd in 2020, Seattle Public Schools banned police from campuses that had previously served as "school resource officers" to guard the students.

Williams asked in the email to the school community, “Any SPS student or staff member who has been sexually harassed or sexually assaulted can report the incident(s) to any school staff member or the district’s Title IX coordinator by contacting 206-252-0367.”