James S. Davis is a 62-year-old Pennsylvania teacher accused of sexual misconduct involving teenage students at Upper Dauphin Area High School. Pennsylvania State Police charged Davis with attempted institutional sexual assault, corruption of minors, unlawful contact with a minor, attempted indecent assault and harassment after an investigation that authorities say identified two alleged victims. Davis has been placed on administrative leave from the school district. The charges are allegations and have not been proven in court.
James S. Davis Teacher Background
Davis Worked As A Teacher At Upper Dauphin Area High School. The Upper Dauphin Area School District’s faculty directory lists Jim Davis as a teacher at Upper Dauphin Area High School in Elizabethville, Pennsylvania. Public employment records also identify James S. Davis as an Upper Dauphin Area School District employee and previously list his position as Building Construction Trades. [Upper Dauphin Area School District]
Davis Was A Building-Trades Teacher. District materials and public payroll records identify Davis with the district’s building-trades program. The district maintains property near the high school that is used by the Building Trades program for home-construction projects. [Upper Dauphin Area School District]
Investigation Into James S. Davis
The Investigation Began After A 15-Year-Old Student And Her Mother Contacted Police. Pennsylvania State Police said its Lykens Criminal Investigation Unit began investigating after receiving information from a 15-year-old student and her mother indicating that the girl may have been victimized by Davis. [Daily Voice]
The Student Allegedly Reported Inappropriate Comments And Messages From Davis. Subsequent reporting based on court documents says the 15-year-old alleged that Davis commented on her appearance and communicated with her by text about his feelings toward her. One message attributed to Davis allegedly stated, “Your feelings for me are normal, mine are not.” [iHeart]
Davis Allegedly Acknowledged That His Feelings Toward The Student Were Inappropriate. Court-document reporting also attributes a message to Davis expressing relief that nothing had happened between himself and the teenager. These communications are allegations described in the criminal case and have not been proven at trial. [iHeart]
Police Identified A Second Teenage Student During The Investigation. Investigators said their examination of the first student’s allegations led them to another alleged victim, identified publicly only as a 16-year-old girl. [Daily Voice]
The Second Student Allegedly Described Similar Conduct. Reporting citing court documents says the second teenager described similar alleged behavior involving Davis during the 2024-2025 school year. [iHeart]
James S. Davis Charges
Davis Faces Four Felony Charges. Pennsylvania State Police charged Davis with attempted institutional sexual assault, corruption of minors and two counts of unlawful contact with a minor. [Daily Voice]
Davis Also Faces Attempted Indecent Assault And Harassment Charges. Police additionally charged Davis with attempted indecent assault of a person younger than 16 and harassment. [Daily Voice]
Court Records Show Davis Faces 10 Counts In Total. Daily Voice reported that the criminal docket lists 10 counts: four third-degree felonies, one first-degree misdemeanor, one second-degree misdemeanor and four third-degree misdemeanor harassment counts. [Daily Voice]
The Court Docket Lists August 25, 2025 As The Offense Date. Court records reviewed by Daily Voice identify August 25, 2025 as the offense date associated with the charges. Police have described the wider investigation as involving conduct connected to Davis’s work with students. [Daily Voice]
Upper Dauphin Area School District Response
Davis Was Placed On Administrative Leave. The Upper Dauphin Area School District placed Davis on administrative leave following the allegations. The district said student safety was a priority and that it was cooperating with law enforcement during the investigation. [iHeart]
Davis Remained Listed In The District’s Faculty Directory. As of the latest publicly indexed version of the Upper Dauphin Area School District website, Jim Davis remained listed as a high-school teacher. A directory listing does not establish his current active work status, and subsequent reporting says he has been placed on administrative leave. [Upper Dauphin Area School District] [iHeart]
James S. Davis Court Case
Davis Was Arraigned After The Charges Were Filed. Davis was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Rebecca Jo Margerum following his arrest. [Daily Voice]
Davis Was Released On $10,000 Unsecured Bail. The judge set bail at $10,000 unsecured, meaning Davis did not have to deposit the money in order to remain free while the criminal case proceeds. [Daily Voice]
Davis’ Preliminary Hearing Is Scheduled For September 9, 2026. Court records list a preliminary hearing for Wednesday, September 9. At a Pennsylvania preliminary hearing, prosecutors generally must establish sufficient evidence for charges to proceed further in the criminal court system. [Daily Voice]
Search For Additional Alleged Victims
Pennsylvania State Police Say The Investigation Remains Open. Investigators have asked anyone who believes they were victimized by Davis or who has relevant information about the allegations to contact the Pennsylvania State Police Lykens station at 717-362-8700 or another state police barracks. [Daily Voice]
Authorities Have Not Announced Any Additional Alleged Victims. As of August 25, 2026, publicly available reporting identifies two teenage students in the investigation. No additional criminal charges or alleged victims have been publicly announced.
One of the first political bloggers in the world, Oliver Willis has operated OliverWillis.com since 2000. Contributor at Media Matters for America and The American Independent. Follow on Twitter at @owillis. Full bio.