What can you say?
June 11, 2008 - Tonya Craft, 36, a kindergarten teacher at Chickamauga Elementary School, was arrested, charged with child molestation and aggravated sexual battery
against three female students at the school.
Craft is charged with four counts of child molestation and one count of aggravated sexual battery against a child, Catoosa Sheriff Phil Summers said.
Full Name: Tonya Henke Craft
NewsChannel9: (June 11) The incident report also states there's at least one other victim and one other suspect. That suspect is underage, and police are investigating the possibility that the suspect is a victim as well.
WDEF ch 12: (June 11) A Ringgold mother filed the complaint against Craft. The woman's daughter told her Craft and another juvenile molested her at Craft's home in Chickamauga.
WRCB ch 3: (June 11) The victims range in age from seven to eight years old.
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TT - If you think women aren't capable of sexual abuse of small children, you might want to read about Tabatha Adams, a second grade teacher in Kansas who, along with the ex-husband of another teacher, molested an 8-year-old relative. Adams was sentenced life in prison with no possibility of parole for 25 years. She and the Nebraska man still face child pornography charges. Noble is still facing charges of sexual assault.
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LAWYER'S VIEWPOINT June 13 - The lawyer for Craft criticized a prepared statement issued by Catoosa County Sheriff Phil Summers on Thursday. The items of contention are whether Craft declined to be interviewed or not, and whether she agreed to take a polygraph test, or not, and a date in the arrest warrant.
The lawyer also said that Craft and the mother making the charges were friends in the past and the children, "They were children who were friends of her (Craft’s) daughter of similar age."
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Town name misspelled. We apologize.
FIRED August 15 - Superintendent Melody Day recommended the dismissal. The school board voted to uphold Tonya Craft's termination at a special called meeting Friday afternoon. Craft is now a former kindergarten teacher at Chickamauga elementary. According to Craft's bond, she isn't allowed around children under the age of 18. In fact the only time she can be around children is at a family reunion. With that in mind the board had no choice but to let her go.School Board Vice Chairman Billy Ellis says had they not fired Craft they would have to keep suspending her every sixty days until she was found innocent or guilty.