Brandon Bates
12-30-08

A Southern University at Shreveport employee faces multiple charges after being caught in a car with a Huntington High School student he once taught.

Caddo sheriff's deputies were investigating a suspicious car on Jefferson Paige Road when they found the 16-year-old girl and Brandon Bates, 38, of the 6500 block of Tierra Circle in Shreveport, in the Honda Prelude about 3:30 a.m. Dec. 25, according to a Caddo sheriff's office arrest report.

The arresting deputy's report notes Bates' pants appeared to be undone.

Bates initially claimed the girl was his niece then told the deputy he and the girl are good friends.

The teen told authorities she and Bates were planning on having sex and the two had engaged in other sexual activity previously that night, according to the report.

Bates, a former Huntington High teacher who works in SUSLA's financial aid office, told the deputy he picked the girl up from her home while her parents were asleep, the report states.

Ex-high school teacher found in car with teen (12/30/08)

Damon M. Williams
12-29-08

The Orleans Parish district attorney's office has declined to press obscenity charges against a popular high school choir director after concluding that evidence against the educator didn't meet the legal definition of the crime.

Rabouin High School music teacher Da'Mon M. Williams was arrested at the school in October and charged with obscenity after a 17-year-old Rabouin student told New Orleans police he received a "picture message of a penis" to his cell phone from Williams' phone, according to a police report.

But the district attorney's office last month refused the obscenity charge against Williams. Williams didn't realize the charge had been dropped until he appeared for a court hearing Monday. Williams denies sending the image. Contacted Wednesday, he said, "I'm just grateful to God that it's all over."

District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro said this week that transmission of a cell phone photo doesn't qualify as obscenity as defined by the Louisiana code.

"It might be offensive, but I can't say it's a criminal violation, " he said. He cited a definition of obscenity in the law that referred to the charge as "intentional exposure" of certain identified body parts "in any public place or place open to the public view . . . with the intent of arousing sexual desire or which appeals to prurient interest or is patently offensive."

Rabouin High School choir director eludes obscenity charges (12/26/08)
New Orleans Teacher Arrested On Obscenity Charge (10/24/08)
Teacher arrested on obscenity charge (10/24/08)
Rabouin teacher arrested for sending student obscene picture on cell phone (10/23/08)

Paul Lavallias
12-17-08

State police say a school teacher, has been arrested on possession of child pornography charges.

Trooper Stephen LaFargue said 59-year-old Paul Lavallias was booked into the Calcasieu Correctional Center Sunday.

LaFargue said police executing search warrants found evidence that child pornography was saved on his computers.

He said detectives learned during the investigation that Lavallias is a sixth-grade teacher at Oak Park Middle School in Lake Charles.

Teacher arrested for child porn (12/17/08)

Mark Carpenter
11-25-08

A former assistant principal at Lee Road Junior High School pleaded guilty on Monday afternoon to raping a 6-year-old girl and to possessing child pornography.

Mark Carpenter, 54, received 30 years in prison for raping the girl in 1986, before he was hired by the St. Tammany Parish school system.

Carpenter, 12127 North East Drive, Covington, was arrested at the Lee Road school on Oct. 8, 2007, and taken to St. Tammany Parish Jail after questioning. He subsequently resigned as assistant principal on Oct. 9, 2007.

He was accused of sexually abusing the girl for 10 years, from the time she was 6 years old until she was 16, authorities said. The victim is now 27. State Judge Elaine Dimiceli sentenced Carpenter to 30 years for the forcible rape charge, without the benefit of parole, probation or suspension of sentence. He received five years for the child pornography charge. The sentences will run concurrently.

Carpenter originally had been charged with aggravated rape, which can carry a sentence of life in prison, but Ronnie Gracianette, chief of trials for the parish district attorney's office, said on Monday that the victim and her family were happy with the plea agreement.

Former St. Tammany Parish Assistant Principal gets 30 years for raping 6-year-old girl (11/24/08)
Lee Road Jr .High assistant principal arrested for aggravated rape, held without bond at St. Tammany Parish Jail (10/09/07)
Assistant Principal Resigns Amid Rape Charge (10/09/07)
Assistant principal booked in rape of girl, 6 (10/10/07)

Anna Huck Davis
11-24-08

A special education instructor at Benton High School has been arrested after admitting to an improper sexual relationship with a teenaged boy, the Bossier sheriff’s office says.

Anna Huck Davis, 32, of the 1000 block of Peyton Avenue in Benton, was arrested Friday after admitting during questioning she had a sexual relationship lasting at least several months with a Caddo Parish 15-year-old, sheriff’s spokesman Ed Baswell said.

Baswell said the youth’s father contacted Bossier Schools Security Supervisor Danny Dison, who also is with the Bossier sheriff’s office, and that Dison began an investigation that led to Davis being questioned and arrested. Baswell said Davis was a paraprofessional who had worked for the Bossier school system two years.

Baswell said the teen was not one of Davis’ students and the alleged sexual activity did not take place on school property in either parish.

Benton teacher arrested on sex charges (11/24/08)
Educator accused of having sexual relationship with teen (11/24/08)
Update: A Benton Teacher Arrested (11/24/08)

Tina Schlegel
11-21-08

Allegations of sexual misconduct have led to the arrest of Tina Schlegel, 28, of Leesville, a substitute teacher at Pickering High School.
After hearing rumors of Schlegel's alleged illicit relationship with a 15-year-old male student, Pickering High Principal Kevin Lambright reported the allegations to the Vernon Parish Sheriff’s Office who began an investigation.

The Vernon Parish School Board has revoked Schlegel's substitute teacher status and has notified all parish schools to refrain from using her as a substitute teacher.

“I received some calls about Schlegel and questioned two students to see if the allegations were just a rumor or if they were plausible,” said Lambright. “After speaking with the students, I felt that the allegations were indeed plausible. I ended the questioning, contacted Tom Neubert, Child Welfare and Attendance Supervisor of the Vernon Parish School Board and Marvin Hilton, Chief of Detectives of the Vernon Parish Sheriff’s Office.”
After conducting its own investigation, the VPSO arrested Schlegel and charged her with felony carnal knowledge of a juvenile.

According to the VPSO, the alleged incident occurred at the home of Schlegel. Detectives interviewed several students about the allegations, while still other students were not questioned at the request of their parents.

Substitute teacher arrested for illicit relationship with 15-year-old (11/21/08)
Teacher Accused of Having Sex With 3 Students (11/21/08)

Christopher Watson
10-22-08

A Baton Rouge man who admitted last month to sending sexually explicit messages and images to a teenage Louisiana School for the Deaf student while teaching there was put on active supervised probation for five years on Tuesday.

Christopher Joseph Watson, 39, declined District Judge Tony Marabella’s invitation to address the court before he was sentenced on a charge of contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile.

Across the hall from Marabella’s courtroom, a graduate of the School for the Deaf pleaded innocent in front of District Judge Wilson Fields to the same charge involving the same girl. Brandon Louis Veronie Sr., 29, of Erath, is due back in Fields’ court in February for a hearing on any motions filed in the case.

Watson and Veronie, who are both deaf and were assisted in court by a sign language interpreter, were among five people arrested between November and April on sex-related charges involving students at the school on Brightside Lane.

As special conditions of Watson’s probation, Marabella said he must perform 50 hours of community service, register as a sex offender and continue counseling. He was also ordered to not be in the presence of minors while unsupervised, except with his own children, he cannot access any Internet social networks or chat sites, and he can have no contact with the victim or her family.

Ex-teacher gets probation in sex case (10/22/08)
Ex-teacher pleads guilty in sex case (09/19/08)
Two arrested in case involving student (11/16/07)
Two arrested in case involving student at state school for deaf (11/16/07)

Amanda Key
10-06-08

A suspended teacher at the Louisiana School for the Deaf has admitted e-mailing sexually explicit images and messages to a 16-year-old female student. Amanda Elizabeth Key pleaded guilty Friday through a sign language interpreter to a felony charge of contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile.

State District Judge Chip Moore in Baton Rouge gave Key a suspended two-year prison term and put her on active supervised probation for five years. She also must register as a sex offender. Key was one of five people arrested between November and April on sex-related charges involving students at the school. Three of the people are current or former teachers at the School for the Deaf. Former teacher Christopher Warren pleaded guilty in September to contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile. He admitted exchanging sexually explicit e-mails and photographs with the same student.

Teacher at La. school for deaf pleads guilty (10-07-08)
Teacher at state school pleads guilty (10/04/08)
Third teacher, 29, at School for Deaf charged in sex case (11/17/07)

Christopher Smith
08-18-08

A former teacher at Holy Savior Menard Central High School in Alexandria was arrested Friday after being accused of having "an improper relationship" with a female Menard student, Rapides Parish sheriff's officials said

Christopher D. Smith, 39, of Pineville is accused of having a relationship with the student off-campus that dates back as far as this past school year, according to a news release from Sheriff Charles F. "Chuck" Wagner Jr. Sheriff's officials said Smith was a Menard teacher up until a few days ago.

"In accordance with our safe environment policy for the Diocese of Alexandria, once the allegation was brought to my attention we followed diocesan procedure," Sister Ann Lacour, superintendent of schools for the Diocese of Alexandria Catholic schools.

Ex-teacher accused of 'improper relationship' with student (08-18-08)

Maurna Thornton
08-01-08

A former Vernon Parish 8th grade teacher will be spending five years behind bars for having sex with a student.

Today, 40-year-old, Maurna Thornton was sentenced to 5 years in prison, 5 years probation and a $2,500 fine

In May, Thornton pleaded guilty to 1 Count of Felony Carnal Knowledge of a Juvenile.

Her arrest came after the Vernon Parish Sheriff’s Office received complaints of inappropriate behavior between Thornton and a 14-year-old student.

Ex-teacher sentenced for carnal knowledge (08/01/08)
Former Hornbeck teacher pleads guilty (05/13/08)

Anthony Vincent Ularich III
06-02-08

Listen up class! We have a very special math lesson today. Please memorize this formula: 1 + 275 = 7. No, it's not "new" math. It's what happens when 1 teacher has 275 items of child porn, he gets 7 years in jail.

Former Slidell special-education teacher was sentenced today to seven years in prison for 275 counts of possessing child pornography.

Anthony Vincent "Vince" Ularich III, 60, was arrested in October after a computer technician found illegal images on his computer and reported him to authorities. He had resigned from his post at Slidell Pathways School a day before his arrest. The charge of possessing child pornography is punishable by no less than two years and no more than 10 years in prison.

Former St. Tammany teacher gets 7 years in porn case (06/02/08)
Teacher arrested on charges of child pornography (10/09/07)
Repairman Tips Police To Child Porn Suspect (10/09/07)

Monica Michelle Martin
05-28-08

Caddo Parish sheriff's deputies have arrested a substitute teacher for allegedly having sex with a student.

Sheriff Steve Prator said 27-year-old Monica Michelle Martin of Oil City was booked for prohibited sexual conduct between an educator and a student and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Martin is accused of having a sexual relationship with an 18-year-old student who she met while working as a substitute at North Caddo High School in Vivian. Deputies say their relationship started around March and continued until recently.

Teacher arrested for having sex with student (05/28/08)
Caddo deputies arrest sub teacher for sex with student (05/28/08)
Caddo Parish Substitute Teacher Arrested For Having Relationship With Student (05/28/08)

Aaron J. Hammond
05-16-08

Aaron J. Hammond a teacher at Southern University Lab School was arrested Wednesday, accused of sexually harassing two 16-year-old students and having pornography on his classroom computer.

Southern University Police arrested Aaron J. Hammond, 34, 23306 General Gardner Lane, Zachary. They booked him into Parish Prison on a count of indecent behavior with juveniles, according to booking documents.

Hammond, a 1992 graduate of Southern Lab who had been a teacher there since August, taught algebra I and physical science to middle school students, Southern University spokesman Ed Pratt said. Hammond was also the assistant coach of the high school boys’ basketball team.

Hammond was a freshman on the Southern University basketball team when it won the SWAC tournament in 1993 — the school’s first NCAA conference tournament victory.

Southern Lab School teacher arrested (05/16/08)
Baton Rouge teacher arrested (05/16/08)
Baton Rouge teacher arrested (05/16/08)

Phillip Cardwell
04-09-08

A former Lincoln Parish Teacher of the Year will appear in district court in Ruston today.

Phillip Cardwell, a former teacher at Simsboro High School, is charged with five counts of indecent behavior with two juveniles and one count of distribution of material harmful to minors.

Today's proceeding is a conference hearing in which Cardwell will appear with his attorney, Lewis Jones. Unless Cardwell pleads guilty, a trial date will be set.

A grand jury indicted him earlier this year on six counts involving two juveniles and dating to August 20th, 2006.

Ex-Simsboro teacher pleads guilty to contributing to delinquency (1/08/08)

Dino Jay Schwertz
03-12-08

Dino Jay Schwertz, 41, of Slidell, was booked at the City Jail over the weekend with six counts of aggravated rape against the 10-year-olds. Since his arrest was made public on Monday, two more boys have come forward with allegations of indecent behavior by Schwertz, who once worked at W.L. Abney Elementary School.

The mother of an 11-year-old Abney student filed a complaint Monday with Slidell police accusing Schwertz of indecent behavior. A complaint about Schwertz involving an 8-year-old Abney student was reported Tuesday, police said.

School officials sent home a letter Monday with Abney students offering limited details about the arrest but providing parents a number to call, said Linda Roan, spokeswoman for St. Tammany Parish public schools.

Janitor Accused of Raping 10-Year-Olds Faces New Allegations (3/12/08)
Elementary School Custodian Booked With Raping 10-Year-Old Boys (3/12/08)
More allegations against former Slidell custodian (3/12/08)
Police: Janitor Molested More Students At School (3/11/08)

Michael Lyons
03-18-08

36-year-old teacher at Isidore Newman School was arrested at the school Monday on charges he had sexual relations in Kenner with a 16-year-old girl beginning while she was his student at another school.

Michael Lyons, of 4141 E. Loyola Drive, Kenner, was arrested without incident at Newman shortly before noon, Kenner police spokesman Detective Shaun Watson said. However, ABC26 news reported the two met while Lyons taught at Mount Carmel Academy. The Web site ratemyteacher.com continues to list Lyons as a math teacher at Mount Carmel.

Lyons was booked with five counts of carnal knowledge of a juvenile, a felony. The five counts represent five separate occasions within the past year when Lyons had sex with the girl, Watson said, including at least once at Lyons' home. All the encounters were in Kenner, Watson said.

Newman Teacher Arrested And Charged With Sexual Misconduct (3/17/08)
Teacher charged with having sex with student (3/17/08)
Teacher/tutor suspected of having sex with student (3/17/08)

Byron Toups
03-17-08

The band director at Destrehan High School was arrested Tuesday on charges of having sex with a student at his home when the girl was only 16 years old.

St. Charles Parish deputies said that an investigation into 39-year-old Byron Toups began last summer with accusations from another student.

“A 17-year-old came forward and disclosed to the sheriff’s office that at the age of 16, she did have sex with Mr. Toups,” said Captain Patrick Yoes of the Sheriff’s Office. “During the summer, a 17-year-old alleged that Mr. Toups tried to kiss her.” In addition to the arrest, Eyewitness News has learned that Toups is the subject of a federal sexual harassment lawsuit filed on behalf of two girls. One of the girls claims that Toups had consensual sex with her when she was 18. The other girl says Toups made lewd comments to her and tried to kiss her at band camp last summer.

Destrehan band teacher pleads innocent to molestation charge (04/07/08)
Destrehan High School band teacher indicted (3/25/08)
Destrehan teacher must stay away from students (3/19/08)
Bond set for Destrehan teacher (3/19/08)
Deputies arrest Destrehan High School band teacher (3/18/08)
Band Director Charged With Sex Crimes (3/18/08)
Destrehan Band Director Arrested For Allegedly Having Sex With Student (3/18/08)
Destrehan High School teacher arrested (3/18/08)