
A former South Carolina educator once celebrated as a “Teacher of the Year” has pleaded guilty to first-degree harassment after writing more than 60 love notes to an 11-year-old student and later showing up at her family’s church.
According to South Carolina news outlet WSAZ, Dylan Robert Dukes, 27, entered the plea on November 14, 2025, admitting to a months-long pattern of obsessive behaviors. Investigators said Dukes’ stalking escalated after the child left his classroom at Starr Elementary School in Anderson County, where he had previously been honored as the 2023-24 Teacher of the Year.