Authorities say a male sixth-grade teacher at Dawson County Middle School remains on leave as investigators look into allegations of sexual misconduct with a student.

According to Dawson County Sheriff’s Lt. Tony Wooten, the parent of a sixth-grade girl told authorities Feb. 24 that “a teacher at school had inappropriately touched her ... at the end of the day at school” on Feb. 23.

The teacher has not been arrested or charged, Wooten said, although an investigation is under way.

He added that the teacher’s name could not be released until the investigation is closed.

The school system also declined to name the teacher.

Superintendent Keith Porter said the district would “continue to monitor the investigation.”

The sheriff’s office notified administrators the day after the incident was reported.

“We made contact with the school system ... then they went from there,” Wooten said.

Porter said the school system “immediately removed the teacher from the school and has been monitoring the sheriff’s office’s investigation and conducting our own investigation as well.”

The state government agency that certifies educational personnel could launch its own investigation.

Porter said “contact has been made with the Georgia Professional Standards Commission” about the matter.

The standards commission uses information gathered by the school system to help determine whether an educator has violated conduct standards.

Following an investigation, it can choose to dismiss the case or take one of several disciplinary actions: a warning, reprimand, suspension or revocation of certification.

The ethics rules are part of the standards commission’s governing code, which serves to “define the professional behavior of educators in Georgia and serve as a guide to ethical conduct.”

The results of the sheriff’s investigation are not known.

“From our end, it remains under investigation at this point,” Wooten said.

Once the probe is complete, he said the matter “could be turned over to the District Attorney’s office to see if there’s enough to prosecute.”