(Des Moines, IA) – Information provided to KJAN News by Iowa Freedom of Information Council President and Chief Executive Officer Randy Evans, sheds more light on the termination of former Atlantic High School Guidance Counselor Jesse McCann. The detailed list of events leading up to McCann’s discharge was provided to Evans from Atlantic School District Superintendent Dr. Beth Johnsen, and confirms McCann was fired for alleged inappropriate conduct. The timeline leading to his termination, according to Dr, Johnsen, is as follows:

A report was made to the District on January 18, 2026, alleging that Mr. McCann engaged in inappropriate conduct. Following an investigation, the District determined that Mr. McCann engaged in the following conduct:

• Sent unwelcome and inappropriate messages to one or more students;
• Engaged in unwelcome and inappropriate conduct toward one or more students;
• Engaged in a pattern of conduct which directly or indirectly significantly and adversely affects the District’s efforts to provide students with high quality instruction;
• Failed to take responsibility for actions towards students and/or failed to cease engaging in harmful conduct towards students and staff;
• Engaged in conduct that violates one or more of the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners standards of ethical conduct for individual licensed as a teacher including Standard VI(c) and (d) and Standard VII (a) and (b);
• Engaged in conduct toward students which is inconsistent with any reasonable standards of conduct applicable to teachers or student support services in the District;
• Failed to maintain reasonably safe and productive professional learning environment for students at school;
• Engaged in conduct which has directly or indirectly significantly and adversely affected ability to serve as a trustworthy employee, including one responsible for supervising students and/or resolving student issues;
• Engaged in conduct which directly or indirectly significantly and adversely affects ability to be a positive role model for students in the District;
• Engaged in conduct which directly or indirectly significantly and adversely affects ability to maintain trust and respect of parents of students in the District
• Engaged in conduct which directly or indirectly significantly and adversely affects confidence in judgment and fitness to serve as a teacher or guidance counselor;
• Engaged in conduct which is inconsistent with the commonly expected standards of professional conduct applicable to teachers and guidance counselors in the District, in violation of District Policies 400 (Role and Guiding Principles for Employees), 401.4 (Employee Expression), 404 (Employee Conduct and Appearance), 404-R(1) (Employee Conduct and Appearance – Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics Regulation) and 404-R(2) (Employee Conduct and Appearance – Code of Rights and Responsibilities Regulation).

The Board of Directors terminated Mr. McCann’s employment effective February 11, 2026. To date, NO FORMAL CHARGES have been filed against McCann.