CASTLE HAYNE, N.C. (WECT) – Denise Coates, a teacher assistant at Castle Hayne Elementary School, has died after a battle with Covid-19.
According to a message sent to families from the school’s principal Christianne May, Coates contracted the virus while out of state. She was responding to a family emergency in Vermont in early September when she contracted the coronavirus, and did not return to the area or the school after her diagnosis.
Coates had been a teacher’s assistant in New Hanover County Schools since 2017, first at Ashley High School and later at Castle Hayne Elementary School. Before that, she was a teacher assistant for 15 years in Fayetteville.
In addition to working as a teacher assistant, Coates also worked as a massage therapist at a local spa.
The New Hanover County Schools Crisis Response Team will be at Castle Hayne Elementary School on Monday to support the staff and students.
Copyright 2021 WECT. All rights reserved.