A Baton Rouge middle school counselor who had been placed on leave amid allegations that he sent inappropriate messages to a 14-year-old former student was found dead Wednesday afternoon in what authorities are investigating as a suicide, police and school officials said.
Quinton Dixon, 44, a counselor at Westdale Middle Magnet School, was discovered inside an unused building on the long-closed Glen Oaks Middle School campus, according to the Baton Rouge Police Department. Officials believe he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, and investigators are treating the death as a suicide.
Dixon had been placed on administrative leave by the East Baton Rouge Parish School System on Jan. 15 after school officials were alerted to allegations that he had been sending inappropriate messages to a minor. Court documents show that earlier Wednesday, an arrest warrant was filed charging Dixon with four counts of indecent behavior with a juvenile.
According to the warrant and law enforcement sources, Dixon allegedly communicated with the 14-year-old girl via Instagram messages between early November 2025 and January 2026. The messages included compliments on the girl’s appearance and offers to drive her home from school, despite the counselor knowing her age, authorities said. Police described the communications as consistent with grooming behavior toward the minor.
Authorities said the messages came to light after the girl reported them to police following an alleged in-person contact while she was walking home from school. Screenshots of the exchanges were shared with school officials, prompting the disciplinary action and subsequent investigation.
In response to Dixon’s death, the East Baton Rouge Parish School System released a statement expressing condolences to the school community and the family of the counselor. District officials said they were saddened by the loss of life and emphasized their commitment to student safety, while noting that counseling services were being offered to students and staff affected by the situation.
No additional suspects have been identified, and police said the case is considered closed following Dixon’s death. The coroner’s office has indicated that further details on the manner and cause of death will be released once the investigation is complete.
If you or someone you know is struggling, resources such as the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline are available by calling or texting 988 or via chat at 988lifeline.org.
