CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia Delegate David Elliott Pritt has resigned from the House of Delegates following his federal arrest on charges alleging sexual activity with a 15‑year‑old student. Pritt, who represented District 50 residents in Fayette County, was taken into custody Wednesday. Federal investigators accuse him of communicating with the minor outside of class and engaging in sexual activity with her between five and ten times inside his Oak Hill High School classroom. His teaching license was suspended after the arrest.
Before Pritt stepped down, 82 of the 100 House members signed a letter urging Gov. Patrick Morrisey to call a special session for the sole purpose of removing him from office. Pritt, 36, was elected as a Democrat in 2022 and switched parties the following year. The West Virginia Republican Party also moved to formally disavow him, reportedly marking the first time in state party history that the GOP has taken steps to expel a member from its ranks.
House Speaker Roger Hanshaw said Pritt’s resignation came after lawmakers called for his removal as soon as the allegations surfaced, adding that their thoughts remain with the families and victims involved.
Pritt appeared in federal court Tuesday afternoon in Charleston, where he waived both his preliminary and detention hearings. He will remain in federal custody. If convicted, he faces up to life in prison.
