Ex-Knightdale High School teaching assistant charged with having sex with student

A former teacher's assistant at Knightdale High School may have started a sexual relationship with a student at the school shortly after he started working there, according to information from the district and court documents.

Xavier Keshawn Kearney, 22, of Wake Forest, was arrested Tuesday after he was charged with a sex act with the Knightdale student. He was released after posting bond.

According to a Wake County school district spokeswoman, Kearney was hired at Knightdale High on Aug. 28, 2017. And according to the arrest warrant, investigators said he had sex with the female student between Sept. 15, 2017 and May 18, 2018.

Kearney was transferred to Wake Forest High School this past September, but resigned from the district on Nov. 27, 2018, the school spokeswoman said.

Before moving to the classroom, Kearney worked part-time at a North Carolina Boys & Girls Club, starting around January 2016.

Officials there said there have not been any complaints at the organization about his behavior.

In a letter to parents, Dr. Jim Argent, the principal of Knightdale High School, said Kearney's role on campus was limited to one classroom, where he interacted with nine students.

"When the allegations were brought to our attention, we immediately reported them to law enforcement," Argent said in the letter. "School officials are working with law enforcement during the investigation. We are also conducting our own investigation into these allegations."

The principal said the incident did not involve a student in Kearney's class.