EDINBURG - A Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Memorial High School teacher declined Thursday to discuss allegations he had a romantic relationship with one of his 17-year-old students.

Investigators believe Gerardo Javier Davila, 28, and the girl dated for at least six months during the spring of 2007 before a school employee caught them together on school grounds.

"One of the custodians saw them kissing and reported it to the principal," Alamo police Chief Arturo Espinoza said.

Police arrested Davila on July 12. He was released the next day on a $90,000 bond.

But eight months later, questions still linger about their purported relationship. Police described Davila as a jazz band teacher and the girl as one of his students.

He resigned from the district after the allegations came to light, Espinoza said.

But several district officials, who are out of the office on Spring Break this week, could not confirm Davila's current employment status with the district or even what subject he taught during his time at the high school.

A person who answered the phone at PSJA Memorial Principal Orlando Noyola's home hung up multiple times Wednesday and Thursday.

It is standard practice for school district employees accused of criminal activity to be suspended until the conclusion of their case.

Davila's attorney, Jason Honeycutt, also opted to remain tight-lipped.

"Due to the sensitive nature of this allegation and the circumstances surrounding this particular case, the preference is to preserve the privacy of this young adult," he said in a written statement.

During an arraignment hearing Wednesday in state district court, Davila pleaded not guilty to one count of improper relationship between educator and student, a second-degree felony.

If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison and $10,000 in fines.
____

Jeremy Roebuck covers courts and general assignments for The Monitor. You can reach him at (956) 683-4437.