Marshall, NORTH CAROLINA

Dec 10, 2007 - Chad Draper, 29, a teacher and coach at Madison High School, was arrested and charged with disseminating harmful material to a minor after a student athlete complained that he showed her a pornographic video on his cell phone while at school. The girl is 17 years old.

Sheriff John Ledford said. “This is the initial charge advised by the district attorney’s office, but it may be upgraded,” he said. Police found a pornographic videon on Draper's cell phone.

Madison County School Superintendent Dr. Ronald Wilcox said the school system is “taking action” regarding the case, and that Draper's dismissal is in the works. The next court date is Jan 31.
Full Name: Chad Vance Draper

ADDITIONAL CHARGES May 29, 2008 - Additional charges have been filed against Draper. The four misdemeanor counts of disseminating harmful materials to minors come from four separate incidents and involve multiple students at Madison High. A court date has been set for June 24.

Draper had been an assistant football coach and physical education teacher at Madison High at the time of his arrest in December. He worked previously in Buncombe County at Cane Creek Middle and Reynolds High and was an assistant football coach at Reynolds.

CONVICTED & SENTENCED June 25, 2008 - Draper was convicted of disseminating pornography to a minor. He was sentenced Tuesday to 30 days in jail - not prison - serve 18 months of probation and wear an electronic tracking device during home arrest for six months.

[Defense attorney Al] Messer sought a dismissal, arguing that District Judge Bill Leavell couldn't find Draper guilty in the case because the judge had not viewed the video, and the detective had not brought the video to court.

Assistant District Attorney Gary Gavenus countered that "this is not an obscenity trial" and that two witnesses had testified that the high school student was shown a video of adults having sex, that genetalia was visible, and that the involuntary viewing was done on school grounds by a man employed as a teacher.

Greenwood, ARKANSAS

Convicted and sentenced in 2006 to two six-year prison terms to run consecutively, she has yet to serve a day while her case was being appealed.

May 28, 2008 - the appeals court upheld the conviction and rejected her appeal.

Oct 27, 2006 - Deanna Bobo, 38, found guilty in September on two counts of first-degree sexual assault for having sex with a minor male student is set to go to trial again in January on two counts of violation of a minor in connection with alleged sexual activity with another student.

APPEAL Sentenced to 12 years, she is appealing the first conviction. She taught special education at Wells Jr. High School at the time of her arrest. Fast Facts from local news outlet. Smoking Gun names her as " the 3,496th teacher to be arrested this year on charges that she had sex with an underage student." She is the mother of five children.

UPDATE: Thanks to a poster, have corrected image.

UPDATE: Jan 3, 2007 - Charges in the second trial have been dropped at the request of the accuser. "Her accuser is serving in the military in Iraq and doesn’t want to come home to testify, court records show."

CONVICTION UPHELD May 28, 2008 - The Arkansas Court of Appeals on Wednesday upheld Bobo's conviction. The appeals court rejected Bobo's argument the judge at her trial erred in allowing the testimony of witnesses who said they saw the student touch Bobo's breast at school. The court said the touching demonstrated an intimacy between the two."This antecedent sexual conduct further corroborated (the boy's) testimony that he and Bobo were later sexually involved," Judge Larry Vaught wrote for the appeals court.

They also rejected her contention that the e-mails presented at trial were not authentic.

REHEARING DENIED June 26 - The Arkansas Court of Appeals on Wednesday denied a rehearing request for a rehearing without explanation.

LOSES APPEAL October 31, 2008 - Deanna Bobo is back in police custody after losing her second appeal. After her appeal was denied, a mandate was issued Thursday to the Sebastian County Circuit Clerk's office asking for Bobo to be taken into custody immediately.

Iola, TEXAS

Jan 24, 2007 - William Watson, 27, currently a band teacher at Garrison High School, surrendered himself to Brazos County authorities Jan 16 upon accusation of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old former student.

Watson was band director at Iola High School where he met the student.
Watson is now free on $25,000 bail. He is on paid administrative leave from Garrison High.

Mar 1 - Watson was indicted by a Brazos County grand jury on two charges for his inappropriate relationship with a former student. The two counts of sexual assault of a child are both second-degree felonies.
[TT - Thanks to a poster for an update.]

CONVICTED Jan 11, 2008 - Watson was convicted Thursday of two counts of sexual assault of a child and will be sentenced to probation. A judge will decide the terms of Watson's probation in 30 days. [Despite what the news story says, she was 15.]

TT - Jan 16 - Location correction. Thank you.

Springfield, ILLINOIS

CONVICTED: June 16, 2007 -
Ned L. Roberson, 41, a teacher's aide Lanphier High School, was convicted of groping and soliciting a 16-year-old girl for sex in 2005. Roberson asked the girl to go to his apartment to help him move something, and once there, he repeatedly asked her for sex and groped her. [From sentencing story: Roberson followed her to her car, reached inside and grabbed her. She drove home and reported the incident.]

[Assistant state's attorney Sheryl] Essenburg said Roberson was arrested in 1997 for allegedly having sex with a 14-year-old girl, but the case was dismissed when the alleged victim either couldn't be found or wouldn't cooperate.

Sentencing is scheduled for August 14.

SENTENCED: August 18 - Roberson was sentenced to 6 months in jail and four years' probation. As part of his probation, Roberson must undergo treatment and have monthly reports sent directly to the judge for his review.

Roberson also was ordered to pay counseling costs incurred by the victim.

Tacoma, WASHINGTON

Sentenced (sorta.)

CONVICTED: August 11, 2007 - Harold Wright Jr., 36, a Tacoma middle school principal, was convicted July 10th, along with another man, of third-degree rape in the sexual assault of a 19-year-old woman. The victim, now 23, attended Spanaway Lake High School while Wright worked there as an assistant principal before he joined Tacoma’s staff in 2000.

The judge rejected his request for a new trial last week. This week, his attorney is alleging juror misconduct.

PAID LEAVE: Wright was paid $48,000 while on administrative leave since February.

That’s because Wright had a contract with the district, which the law considers a property right that can’t be taken away until he receives notice of possible discharge, gets the chance to present his side and the district follows other procedures, Albrecht said.

The district also filed a separate complaint against Wright with the state Office of Professional Practices, which could result in revocation of his teaching and administrative credentials.
While state law calls for immediate revocation of a teaching certificate for certain crimes involving children, there’s no automatic revocation for other crimes involving adults.

In his resignation letter, he maintained his innocence and added this. “Please convey to the students, parents and staff of the Baker community that I care for them, and I will continue to do whatever I can to seek justice.

Both men are black while the victim is white, a fact that the defense attorney took advantage of without success. Jurors said they believed Wright acted as an accomplice. Wright is married and is the father of three children.

Sentencing is August 31.

Aug 31 - A judge sentenced Harold Wright Jr. to six months in jail, then immediately stayed the sentence, which allows Wright to remain free while he appeals.

Albrecht said the district won't be able to get back the $48,068 it paid Wright while he was on administrative leave from Feb. 9 because of his contract. 'The district has filed a complaint against Wright with the state Office of Professional Practices, which may result in revoking his teaching and administrative credentials.

While state law calls for immediate revocation of a teaching certificate for certain crimes involving children, revocation is not automatic for crimes involving adults.

Roanoke, VIRGINIA

Mar 2, 2007 -
Thomas Nuckles, 48, a teacher at Country Bear Day School, was convicted of forcible sodomy for molesting a 4-year-old boy while he worked at a Roanoke County day care center.

Nuckles entered an Alford plea, which means he maintained his innocence but did not wish to risk a trial by jury. After hearing a summary of the evidence, Roanoke County Circuit Judge James Swanson found Nuckles guilty.

An astute mother gathered the evidence.

The boy, one of his students, told his mother one day that Nuckles had made a sexual threat toward him, but when the mother questioned Nuckles, he was able to give an innocuous explanation.

Then on April 19, as the boy's mother was driving her son home, he told her Nuckles had performed oral sex on him. She pulled over and questioned her son, who repeated what he'd said and made a gesture demonstrating what he said Nuckles had done.

The boy's mother took him home, separated and bagged his clothes, and called police the next day. DNA swabs were taken from the boy and from Nuckles.

Full Name: Thomas Daniel Nuckles

During a November preliminary hearing, the boy, then 5, referred to Nuckles as a "bad person" during testimony.

SENTENCED: August 7 - Nuckles pleaded guilty in March (one online story says he was convicted) and was sentenced to 40 years, suspended after he serves 15.

Houston, TEXAS

July 26, 2007 - Robert "Kevin" Cyphers, 45, a teacher who worked for the Houston Independent School District, as well as three other districts in the Houston area, was convicted repeatedly molesting an 8-year-old girl.

The girl was not a student. Cyphers molested her while her mother was at work. [Story is vague on why he was alone with the child,]

The punishment trial is scheduled for next week.

Parma, IDAHO

Sentenced to 10 years; out in 180 days. What a deal.


Dec 1, 2006 - In June, Randy Eddy, 37, a Parma middle school teacher, was convicted on two counts of sexual battery of a minor for a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl. [Later story says 15-years-old.]

He awaits sentencing after he completes a 180-day sexual offender treatment program.

Update May 22 - Eddy was sentenced to 10 years but after serving six months, he was released.

He was convicted by a jury last summer on two counts of sexual battery involving a 15-year-old girl in December 2005.

Originally, Eddy was sentenced to 10 years in jail with two years fixed, by 3rd District Judge Juneal Kerrick chose to retain jurisdiction of his sentence for 180 days.

[That makes no sense whatsoever.] The judge noted that Eddy had already lost the custody of his two children and any possibility of teaching again. [Surely that is a good thing -- that he won't be teaching again.]

Eddy will remain on parole for the next 9 1/2 years.

TT - Another Idaho teacher, Steven Weeks, got a similar sweetheart deal.

Clarksburg, WEST VIRGINIA

It doesn't say if he he is still teaching.
Story dated May 2, 2007 -
Richard Malfregeot, 51, a Bridgeport Middle School teacher, was convicted by a magistrate of stalking a student.

He made repeated, unwanted contact with a 13-year-old female student about a year ago.

His accuser said he repeatedly asked her if she had a boyfriend. He even called her on her personal cell phone. At one point, she said, he touched her shoulders, making her uncomfortable.

Magistrate Tammy Marple suspended Malfregeot for six months. He also has to pay a $500 fine and can't have any contact with the victim for at least four years.

REHEARING: August 30 - There is a rehearing on the case. Closing arguments are scheduled for September 20. The judge expects to rule on October 3.

Concord, NEW HAMPSHIRE

Updated to include sentencing information.

Dec 20, 2006 - Convicted of felony kidnapping, Jennifer Malone, 32, a teacher's aide at Mount Prospect Academy, a residential school for troubled teens in Plymouth.

Malone was charged after she fled with a 16-year-old male student with whom she was having sex and her 8-year-old son on a 10-day flight that ended in Florida. She was arrested in June. Assistant Hillsborough County Attorney Patricia LaFrance prosecuted the case.

Prosecutors acknowledged the case was not a typical kidnapping case and asked jurors not to dwell on the word "kidnapping," but on the elements of the crime.
"What if their genders were reversed?" LaFrance asked. "What if it were a 32-year-old man with a 16-year-old girl? What if it was a 50-year-old man and a 16-year-old boy? At what point does it become unacceptable?"

Indeed.

Update Feb 12 - Malone was sentenced to three to six years, suspended on good behavior, and probation for five years for her kidnapping conviction. She was also ordered to pay $1,884 in restitutions for her extradition costs.

Malone also pleaded guilty yesterday to a misdemeanor charge of stalking Cole last September.

Malone had been released on bail and violated a condition of it by making contact with Cole while he worked at a construction site in Nashua. Malone drove by and beeped her horn at him, then turned around and drove by the site again. She then said hello to Cole and instructed him to meet her at a friend's home nearby.

For her stalking charge, she was sentenced to 12 months in the house of corrections. A $1,000 fine was suspended on good behavior.
Malone was also ordered to participate in sex offender/mental health counseling and required to have a psychiatric evaluation. She must also register as a sex offender when released.

"I'm sorry for the pain I caused. I never meant to hurt anyone," she said.
Malone added that she has lost her friends, family members, respect, privacy and the right to see her two children because of her actions.

August 30, 2007 - A judge ordered Malone to be released immediately under early release provisions that were denied by the prison.

Dayton, OHIO

Jan 5, 2007 -
Steven Keller, 30, a teacher was arrested at Richard Allen Academy, and charged with gross sexual imposition against a child under 13. He is scheduled to appear in court on Jan 8.
UPDATE: The girl is reported to be 7-years-old.

Gross sexual imposition definition from USlegalforms.com

UPDATE: Jan 8 - Keller was arraigned and charged with gross sexual imposition on a 7-year-old girl. Police believe Keller was a kindergarten teacher at the time of his arrest. Police also believe Keller met the girl's family via his profession and was considered to be a friend of the girl's family. A preliminary is scheduled for Friday.

Jan 9: He taught taught kindergarten at the Edgemont campus from 2000 to 2005 before going to the Salem Avenue campus. The school sent a letter to parents saying they intended to cooperate. "The letter also states that "Mr. Keller received clearance from the Bureau of Criminal Investigation prior to being employed by Richard Allen."

The letter also notes that "this incident is the first of its kind in our school district, but it certainly shows that we are not immune to the challenge of everyday society."

CONVICTED - Found at the Ohio Educator Conduct search site that he was convicted of felony gross sexual imposition and his license was revoked Sept 2007.

Los Angeles, CALIFORNIA

Nov 13, 2006 - David Grant Gray, Los Angeles Unified School District music teacher, was convicted in March 2005 of four counts of sexual molestation of a child and two counts of physical abuse of another child. He was sented to 21 years to life in prison. A state appellate court upheld the conviction, rejecting his claim that errors were made in his trial.

It is probable that Gray's credentials have not yet been revoked. The Mercury News reports that the California State Commission on Teacher Credentialing can take as long as two years to investigate and rule on complaints. UPDATE: 11/27/06 search reveals credential suspended.

The Mercury News has followed up on several Palo Alto teacher problems.

Media, PENNSYLVANIA

Oct 24, 2006 - Westley Holmes, Jr., 63, substitute teacher, was convicted of raping a former student, now age 15, when she was in the fourth grade.. [Emphasis mine.]

Holmes has two prior convictions, including assault on a 7-year-old student in Philadelphia, as well as two acquittals and a no-contest plea. All involve similar offenses with children.

How could someone like that be teaching? And why is the Philadelphia school chief honored, "despite budget woes and a high dropout rate, as a top U.S. leader by U.S. News and World Report and Harvard University's Center for Public Leadership?

Feb 2, 2007 - Sentencing was set for Jan 18. Can find no online information.