HOUMA - The athletic director of Terrebonne High School was arrested Thursday after he allegedly had sexual relationships with multiple students, according to WWLTV.

The Houma Police Department arrested Joseph Clement, 59, on charges of carnal knowledge of a juvenile, sexual battery, indecent behavior with a juvenile and two counts of prohibited sexual conduct between educator and student. 

Police say Clement, who's been a teacher at the school for 18 years, had been engaging in the illegal activities for "quite some time."

"It was reported to HPD detectives that Joseph Clement conducted inappropriate behavior with multiple female students under the age of 17 years old at Terrebonne High School," a statement from the police department said.

According to Clements bio on the school website, he's had coaching and teaching jobs at multiple schools, including 11 years at Vanderbilt Catholic High School and two years at H.L. Bourgeois High School. He graduated from East Ascension High School in Gonzales in 1978.

The National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association and the LHSADA awarded Clement the 2020 Louisiana Award of Merit in January.

School officials told WWLTV the carnal knowledge charges are not related to his time working at Terrebonne High School. 

He's currently held in the Terrebonne Parish Criminal Justice Complex on a $153,000 bond.