Mankato West band director, Tedd Gullickson, has resigned.

The Mankato school board approved his resignation, effective February 2, in a unanimous vote this morning. Gullickson was also recently removed from his position as director of the Mankato Area 77 Marching Band.

Gullickson, 52, had been on paid administrative leave since early December, the subject of investigations by the school district, and Blue Earth and Nicollet prosecutors.

Superintendent Sherri Allen says, based on the current investigation, prompted by a complaint earlier this winter, the school board has accepted Gullickson’s resignation. She says until the district hires a new band director, retired teacher Jim Siewert will continue to fill Gullickson’s position.

According to reports, on the afternoon of November 19 Gullickson was found at Seven Mile Park, sitting in the back seat of a car with an 18-year-old woman. A DNR officer said he became concerned when he saw that the woman was “suspiciously younger” than the man she with and wouldn’t provide identification, even though the officer could see a student ID sticking out of her pocket.

Gullickson told the officer the two were “just talking,” but the woman – a former student – said they were “making out.”

On November 24, Nicollet and Blue Earth County investigators met with Gullickson about the incident. He denied any sexual relationship with the woman, saying he was acting as a “father figure” to the woman.

But the former student had a different story. She told investigators they had begun a sexual relationship in June of 2009, just a few weeks after she graduated. The woman also said throughout her senior year at West she and Gullickson shared several phone calls a week and had private dinners together on band outings.

According to reports, the woman said her sexual relationship with Gullickson involved “kissing and touching,” but no intercourse. She described one incident in the summer of 2009: she says Gullickson touched her sexually while they were in the West band room.

A police report says investigators found prior evidence of a relationship between Gullickson and the woman at District 77’s administrative office. The report states investigators did find evidence of that relationship and Gullickson had been disciplined by the district. Allen would not confirm any previous investigations.

The investigation by Nicollet and Blue Earth County prosecutors did not result in any charges against Gullickson; prosecutors said there was no probable cause for criminal charges, because the woman is 18.