State Police arrest former Aztec High School teacher

FARMINGTON — New Mexico State Police investigators arrested a former Aztec High School teacher Friday who then admitted to several unlawful sexual relationships with female high school students.

Police obtained an arrest warrant for James Dee Coulter, 31, of Aztec, and arrested him where he works at an industrial equipment supply company in Farmington.

“A former Aztec High School female student disclosed to police that she on at least two occasions had sex with Coulter in 2015 when she was 17 years old,” state police said in a release. “During the student’s involvement with Coulter, Coulter told the student that if she said anything about their relationship, he would likely go to jail and it could potentially ruin his life, so the student did not report the relationship.”

The investigation began as a state licensure investigation, turning up evidence of an illegal sexual relationship with a student. The state police were contacted in June by the New Mexico Public Education Department with evidence and statements indicating that the high school math and philosophy teacher had engaged in illegal activity.

The police investigation turned up more than one relationship.

Coulter admitted after his arrest to “having several more unlawful sexual relationships with other female high school students,” the police news release stated. “The New Mexico State Police will further investigate these additional crimes and work to identify any other victims in this case.”