Charges Against Dinkins Upheld by District Court

All 16 charges against former William Tennent High School choral director Tyrone Dinkins stemming from accusations of unlawful and inappropriate contact with female students have been upheld by Warminster Magesterial Judge Daniel Finello at a preliminary hearing Friday morning.

Unable to post bail, Dinkins has been remanded to Bucks County Correctional Facility, where he will await his November 2 arraignment in Doylestown.

He was released this morning from prison to attend the hearing, where eight current and former William Tennent students, ranging from ages 16 to 20 years old, testified to encounters with Dinkins that made them feel awkward and uncomfortable.

The level of contact with each alleged victim varied between testimony, from only text messages to the pinching of body parts and, in one case, kissing the back of one student's neck.

Several students recounted multiple incidents where Dinkins would compliment the way that they dressed and the make comments about specific body parts, namely their breasts and butt. One alleged victim said she stopped wearing jeans to school after Dinkins commented how her butt looked in denim.

They also gave testimony to frequent hugs, some in the hallway, some in Dinkins' private office or backstage before a show. 

One former student gave testimony about an incident when Dinkins pulled her out of class and pinched her breast in the hallway. The same alleged victim also told the court about a time when she asked for a microphone, and Dinkins placed it between his legs and told her to take it.

She also said that when she requested extra credit to boost a low grade, Dinkins asked her to perform a "sexy dance." The victim testified that the reason for her low grade was because she skipped many classes because she felt uncomfortable in his classroom.

Defense attorney Marc Neff attempted to provide context for some of the alleged incidents during his cross examination, such as asking the alleged victims if some compliments were given before a show and they were formally dressed for the performance. 

In the case of a hug given by Dinkins to one of the alleged victims, Neff noted that at the time she was upset over the death of a family member. She replied that she was uncomfortable about the hug because Dinkins was a teacher making physical contact with a student.

Finello granted Bucks County Deputy District Attorney Abigail Fillman's motion to upgrade two misdemeanors for the corruption of minors to felony unlawful contact with a minor, for a total of four felonies and 12 misdemeanors.