A Texas math teacher has been suspended from classes after his students came across disturbing news reports online tying him to an investigation into his wife’s sex-cult murder.

Tyler Deaton moved from Missouri to Texas and was hired by Lancaster High School Dallas in February to teach pre-calculus.

Since he has never been charged in connection to the 2012 killing of his wife, 27-year-old Bethany Ann Deaton, he passed a formal background check by the Department of Public Safety and an FBI database without raising any red flags.

Unpleasant surprise: Tyler Deaton, pictured with his late wife, Bethany, has been suspended from classes after his students discovered news stories online about his alleged role in an investigation into his spouse’s murder

However, his troubles started last week when some of his students decided to look up their fresh-faced teacher online, only to discover a string of news stories about Deaton’s alleged role as a leader of a sex cult who may have played a role in a cover-up linked to his wife’s death, Kansas City Star reported.

Micah Moore, 23, who was a member in Deaton’s religious sect and lived with him and his wife in Grandview, Missouri, has been charged with killing Bethany last fall and making it look like a suicide.

Moore initially accused Deaton of giving him the order to kill his wife for fear that she might tell her therapist about being the victim of several sexual assaults, according to court documents. But Moore later recanted his confession.

When stories about Deaton’s past reached the school administration, the teacher has been placed on leave pending an internal investigation.

‘We appreciate that we have students and stakeholders who hold us to the highest standards,’ Lancaster Independent School District communications director S. Cole-Hamilton wrote in a statement to parents.

‘And, we work to ensure that the people in front of our students model the character that we expect. We can assure you that we are proactive in maintaining the high standards of character among our staff.’

New beginning: Deaton moved from Missouri to Texas and found a job teaching pre-calculus in Lancaster High School near Dallas

The parent of a Lancaster High School senior told the Kansas City Star that her daughter was saddened to hear of Deaton’s suspension because he was well-liked by all of his students.

‘She was hoping it was a joke,’ Krissy Johnson said. ‘I was angry to see how he was able to get close to our kids with this currently going on in his life.’

Investigators from Jackson County, Missouri, told NBC 5 that they are aware that Deaton has been living in Texas and working as a high school teacher, but would not say whether or not he is a suspect in the case.

In January, Micah Moore, 23, pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in the death of Bethany Ann Deaton, whose body was found on October 30 in a van at Longview Lake, Kansas.

There was an empty pill bottle by her, a bag over her head and a suicide note, indicating to police she had taken her own life.

After the 23-year-old confessed, he said that Bethany’s husband Tyler Deaton told him to do it.

His attorney later said it was the act of a distraught and confused young man under extreme psychological pressure and that no actual evidence of a crime existed and that his confession.

Back in court: Micah Moore, 23, right, pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in court in January

Bethany Deaton was found dead on October 30th with a plastic bag over her head and a bottle of acetaminophen next to her suicide note

Moore is currently free on $250,000 bond, according to the Kansas City Star.

It was claimed in December 2012 that Tyler Deaton was involved in sexual affairs with at least three other men who lived at the religious community he led.

The charismatic Christian was in charge of a group whose members came to Kansas City from Texas to be part of the International House of Prayer.

After the arrest of Moore, several men who lived in the house told detectives they had been involved in ‘secret’ sexual relations with Deaton.

Court records have redacted these men’s names but, one witness told police that Deaton mentioned having dreamed that ‘he had killed his wife by suffocating her,’ a week after her death.

Silenced: Moore told investigators that Bethany Deaton was killed for fear that she would tell her therapist about being sexually assaulted

The Deatons’ other roommates told police of alleged sexual relationships by Deaton to ‘discover his masculinity,’ because he was ‘frustrated’ that he ‘couldn’t get an erection’ with his wife according to the probable cause statement seen by the Daily Beast.

Another member interviewed by detectives investigating the case said that one night he was lying in bed and that ‘Tyler had laid next to him and held him.’

‘He stated that he realized now that Tyler was attempting to make him a member of their sexual group.’

Read more: Daily Mail