McDowell County Teacher Arrested on Multiple Sexual Abuse Charges

Tyree Donell Baker, a 27-year-old health teacher at Mount View High School in Kimball, was arrested Thursday and charged with 30 counts of sex crimes against a student after the McDowell County Sheriff's Department acted on a complaint filed through the school system.

McDowell County Chief Deputy Dalton T. Martin confirmed the arrest. "We arrested him at his home in Kimball, West Virginia," Martin said. Baker faces 10 counts each of sexual abuse by a person in a position of trust, prohibited sexual acts against a student by a school employee, and solicitation of a minor by other means, totaling 30 charges across three felony categories.

The criminal complaint alleges Baker performed sexual acts on a then-17-year-old male student on at least 10 separate occasions between October 1 and December 31, 2025, during school hours at Mount View High School. According to the complaint, Baker had the victim in his 7th-period class and repeatedly pulled him out to engage in the alleged acts. The victim, deputies said, also alleged that Baker threatened to harm him, his family, and himself if the student "didn't perform sexual acts, if [the victim] got new friends or a girlfriend," or if the student told anyone.

Security footage provided a key piece of evidence. Deputies recovered video from October 7 showing Baker pulling the student from gym class and walking with him to Baker's classroom. A physical education teacher corroborated the pattern, telling investigators that Baker had checked the student out of gym class multiple times. Investigators noted that at the time shown in the footage, Baker had no active class of his own. Deputies also conducted two separate interviews with the alleged victim as part of the investigation, which the McDowell County Sheriff's Office said began March 23 and culminated in Baker's arrest three days later.

As Baker was walked into the McDowell County Sheriff's Office for processing, he briefly addressed reporters. According to Newswatch, he said he was innocent.

The complaint, filed to McDowell County Magistrate Court, was initiated after Chief Deputy Martin received a report from McDowell County Superintendent Ingrida Barker and a school counselor. The counselor indicated the alleged victim had disclosed the abuse. Baker appeared before a McDowell County magistrate Thursday afternoon; bond information remained unavailable as of the time of his arrest.

Superintendent Barker issued a statement following the arrest. "Our priority remains maintaining a safe and supportive environment for all students and employees," she said.

Baker is presumed innocent until proven guilty. Next court dates and any formal charging documents had not been publicly released by the time of this report.