BREAKING - Clay City High School special education teacher in court today

CCSD - Danielle Nikki Pate, 37, Clay City

The Clay City High School special education teacher facing allegations she sent lewd pictures to a student appeared in Clay Circuit Court Thursday morning.

After turning herself into authorities, Danielle Nikki Pate was booked into the Clay County Justice Center on a level 6 felony charge of Disseminating matters harmful to minors. She later bonded out on a $7,000 cash bond with 10% allowed ($700).

Pate’s attorney Christopher Shema explained Pate had been released from an unnamed hospital Wednesday evening to Judge Trout and apologized for the previous court errors before requesting to withdraw from the case.

“It was an honest mistake,” Shema said.

Trout then advised Pate of the charges, possible penalties, and rights before Pate entered a plea of not guilty. Trout explained that the “no contact order” remained in place, and if any type of contact were made, it would result in a new charge.

Judge Trout appointed public defender John R. Springer to represent Pate through the rest of the court proceedings, which include a pretrial conference on July 11 and the jury trial on September 18.

Trout explained the terms of bond release and that she needed to obey all laws.

Pate will return for a Baker Warrant at a future time for a DNA sample.

Pate was released from the court because she bonded out previously.

According to court documents, the inappropriate relationship Pate has been allegedly having with a student has been going on since February.