North Platte Police Department
NORTH PLATTE — On Tuesday, administrative staff at the North Platte High School reported receiving information that a staff member was acting inappropriately around a student. The information was turned over to the School Resource Officer who investigated the concerning activity between the staff member and student, in conjunction with the North Platte Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division.
Investigators interviewed a 17-year-old student on Wednesday morning and several items of evidence were collected. Probable cause was developed, that included evidence of sexual contact between the student and staff member. The suspect was taken into custody later that afternoon by the School Resource Officer at North Platte High School.
The suspect, 46-year-old David D. Cooper, was arrested for Sexual Abuse by a School Employee, a class IIA felony. He was incarcerated at the Lincoln County Detention Center.
Cooper is a math teacher at North Platte High School, according to the district's website.
North Platte Public Schools issued the following statement:
"Yesterday, Wednesday, February 22, 2023, an employee was taken into custody by the North Platte Police Department. While we cannot share the specific details of this personnel matter, we can assure you that North Platte Public Schools remains committed to educating our students in a safe learning environment. Additionally, we will continue to work with law enforcement throughout this investigation. The North Platte Police Department is handling this ongoing criminal investigation; we cannot elaborate further."