Plea hearing scheduled for band director charged with sexual contact with student

UPDATE 10:34 am: Judges continued Cortez’s plea hearing.

ORIGINAL STORY: A Mexico High School band director has a plea hearing scheduled a full year after the high school was first told about inappropriate touching between the director and a student.

Robert Cortez was arrested last year and charged with two counts of sexual contact with a student.

According to court documents, the student claims he was in the car with Cortez when Cortez began inappropriately touching him.

The student reported it to the school and Cortez was arrested the next day.

Cortez has admitted to being in the car with the student, but denies anything inappropriate happened.

Earlier this month, Cortez waived his right to trial by a jury.

His plea hearing is scheduled for 1:15 p.m. in Audrain County Court.