By: Jacob Kessler
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
jacob@thevillagereporter.com
Pettisville Local Schools has accepted the retirement of longtime choir director Duane Beck after an internal investigation found he engaged in inappropriate communications and failed to maintain professional boundaries with students.
Beck, who has worked in the district since 1998, was placed on administrative leave on September 23rd and will officially retire on May 31st, 2026, after using his collected sick time.
A separation agreement approved by the board of education on November 5th bars Beck from district property or events without the superintendent’s permission.
The agreement follows an 18-page investigative report in which students described repeated hugging, shoulder touching, personal comments, and text messages from Beck that they felt were inappropriate for a teacher.
Some students also reported conversations that drifted into topics of a sexual nature, though the district noted it found no evidence of sexual relationships or criminal conduct.
Administrators began their review after receiving a voicemail from a student expressing concerns. School officials interviewed multiple students and parents in the days that followed, notifying local law enforcement and Fulton County Child Protective Services in accordance with mandatory reporting requirements.
In its written statement, the district said the investigation “revealed inappropriate communications and a lack of maintenance of professional boundaries with students,” adding that student safety remains its highest priority.
“The Pettisville Local School District Board of Education’s administration received a complaint from a student regarding a teacher,” the statement from Pettisville Superintendent Josh Clark continued.
“The complaint concerned a lack of professional boundaries between the teacher and students. The board thoroughly investigated the matter and reported the complaint, and additional student complaints made over the course of the investigation, to local law enforcement.
“The investigation revealed inappropriate communications and a lack of maintenance of professional boundaries with students.
“The investigation, to the best of the administration’s knowledge, produced no evidence of inappropriate touching or relationships between the teacher and/or the students.”
“The teacher has chosen to use accrued sick leave and has resigned for retirement purposes, effective at the conclusion of the 2025–2026 school year. The district will always strive to ensure that its students are safe and secure and will endeavor to create a professional environment for learning.”