Columbus, GEORGIA

Dec 1 - Cypert pleaded guilty. Sentenced to one year in prison, followed by probation, and sex offender registration.

May 2, 2007 - TWO Muscogee County teachers have been arrested on charges of sexual misconduct with their students. In separate incidents.

Jim Cypert, 37, (left)an English teacher at Columbus High School, was arrested and charged with four counts of sexual assault. Cypert is accused of having non-coerced** sex with one of his students in 2005.

May 4 - Cypert, a Columbus high school teacher and substitute, was charged with four counts of sexual assault against a person in custody. [Teacher-student sex is illegal in Ohio even if the student is a legal adult.]

Cypert allegedly had a sexual relationship with one of his female students that began in 2005. The student was an 18-year old senior at Columbus High.

INDICTED Sept 18 - Cybert indicted on sexual assault charges.

Sept 19 - Cybert is still on the school payroll. He was transferred to an area where he has no contact with students. "He is working within the transportation department in an adminstrative capacity, at this time we know this is a legal matter and requires due process and it has to go through the court system,"says Director of Communications, Valerie Fuller.

GUILTY PLEA & SENTENCING Dec 1 - Cybert pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual assault against a person in custody and followed a plea agreement. He was sentenced to one year in prison, followed by five years' probation. As part of his sentence, Cypert must forfeit his teaching certificate and register as a sex offender.
------------------------------
Roderick Branscomb, 32, (right) a substitute teacher at Carver High School, was charged with sexually assaulting a student.

** TT - we use the term "non-coerced" as sex with a minor is never legally consensual.

Dec 1 - No online updates for Branscomb.