Jury: Former Slinger band director guilty of sexual assault

David T. Hanke, a former band director at Slinger High School, was found guilty by a jury in Washington County Circuit Court on April 25 of one count of sexual assault of a student by school staff.

Hanke was found guilty following a two-day trial. The charge was filed in January 2017 following an investigation about an incident that occurred in 2000 at Hanke’s residence in Hartford. The investigation which led to the charges was prompted by a 2016 letter to the School District of Slinger by the victim, who was 16 at the time of the incident.

The hearing included testimony by two other students who described physical contact with Hanke. Following the verdict, Hanke’s bond was revoked and he was taken to the Washington County Jail. Hanke will be sentenced on June 8.

Hanke was employed by the School District of Slinger for 37 years and retired in 2012. He continued to work as a substitute teacher in the district after his retirement, but the district suspended him from that work once the investigation was started.