A former Glen Lake Community Schools teacher has accepted a plea deal in a felony case that involved taking inappropriate pictures of students.

In February, the Leelanau County Sheriff’s Office announced that it had been contacted by Glen Lake Community Schools with a complaint “involving a teacher possibly taking inappropriate photos of students.” Those allegations were against Elijah George, who until recently had served as the middle school and high school band director at the school district. George resigned his position at Glen Lake after the investigation began, briefly leaving town and moving downstate. He was arrested in Marysville, Michigan on February 15 after the Leelanau County Sheriff’s Office issued a warrant for his arrest.

George faced six felony charges: three counts of surveilling an unclothed person and three counts of using a computer to commit a crime. He has now accepted a plea deal, in which he will plead guilty to one count each for both crimes. In exchange for the guilty plea, the Leelanau County Prosecutor’s Office has agreed to drop the other four charges.

Under the Michigan penal code, photographing or otherwise recording “the visual image of the undergarments worn by another individual, the unclad genitalia or buttocks of another individual, or the unclad breasts of a female individual under circumstances in which the individual would have a reasonable expectation of privacy” is a felony crime punishable “by imprisonment for not more than five years [imprisonment] or a fine of not more than $5,000.00, or both.” In many such cases, an additional charge of using a computer to commit a crime is added, which can also have a potentially lengthy prison term depending on the underlying offense.

George’s sentencing is scheduled for Monday, July 1.

Based on a search of the Michigan Department of Education’s Online Educator Certification System, George’s teaching certificate has not yet been suspended or revoked. That license was issued on May 22, 2020 and is listed as valid through June 30, 2025.