A Lehighton Area High School social studies teacher arrested as part of a three-county sex trafficking sting will be suspended without pay, district officials confirmed Monday.

Michael James Feifel, 55, of Walnutport, was arrested in South Whitehall Township and charged by Lehigh County detectives June 29 with unlawful contact with minor - prostitution and criminal use of a communication facility. Both are listed as third-degree felony offenses.

Lehighton Superintendent Dr. Christina Fish said the district began due process proceedings immediately after learning of the arrest. Feifel waived his right to a Loudermill hearing, which had been scheduled for July 20, in front of district officials.

“Based on the foregoing, and a review of the criminal complaint against Mr. Feifel, the district administration, with the knowledge and understanding of the school board, suspended him without pay effective Sept. 1, 2023,” Fish said. “The district’s decision to terminate will be predicated upon whether or not any of the representatives of the multi-jurisdictional human trafficking operation and the Lehigh County District Attorney’s office would be willing to testify in either a district administrative proceeding or arbitration hearing. The district needs to rely upon this testimony in order to finalize a separation from employment.”

Feifel also served as an area coach at various districts. He was relieved of his volunteer coaching duties at Pennridge school district earlier this month.

Feifel, who has worked as a Times News sports staffer, is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Wednesday at 2 p.m. in front of Magisterial District Judge Jacob Hammond. Fish said he is not performing any services for the district this summer.

According to the affidavit of probable cause filed by the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office, a multi-jurisdictional human trafficking operation was held in South Whitehall Township area on June 29 to combat sex trafficking in which several ads were posted on popular sex websites.

In one of those ads, a Homeland Security Task Force Officer operating in an undercover capacity posted an ad that she was working with another female.

Feifel responded to the ad, court papers say. The agent posed as a 17-year-old girl working with a 14-year-old girl.

Feifel said he was willing to meet the 17-year-old girl and specific sex acts and prices were agreed upon, according to court papers.

During the conversation, Feifel said he wanted to come to the location to engage in these sex acts, so the agents provided him with a South Whitehall Township location, officials said.

When he arrived, court papers say he parked his vehicle, went to a building’s vestibule where he was taken into custody.

He was taken back to South Whitehall Township Police Department for an interview.

Officials said Feifel had the money for the agreed upon sex acts and his cellphone. Police confirmed it was the same cellphone used to make arrangements for the meeting.

He was arraigned before Lehigh County Magisterial District Judge Karen C. Devine and was released on $1,500 cash bail, 10% of the set amount of $15,000.

“The district will also be working with the trafficking operation, which includes Homeland Security, to determine whether or not any students in the district were adversely impacted as a result of interactions with Mr. Feifel,” Fish said.