A Banks County Elementary School principal and two teachers have resigned after a sexual misconduct investigation. The investigation concluded that the three school employees were guilty of “unethical behavior.”
As reported by Fox 5 Atlanta, “State investigators from the Professional Standards Commission are now looking into alleged sexual misconduct on the Banks County Elementary School campus.” The investigation may extend beyond these three individuals. Banks County Elementary School is now the target of the Standards Commission looking into alleged sexual misconduct. As claimed in the Fox 5 statement, the Banks County Board of Education acted after a “five-page report that details a years-long alleged affair between the principal and a PE teacher.”
Verdaillia Turner, President of the Georgia Federation of Teachers, exclaimed in apparent disbelief: “What were the educators thinking?” It is claimed that Turner was reacting to the report released to FOX 5. “The report says not only is there evidence to prove the relationship between Banks County Elementary School Principal Dr. Dana Simmons and PE teacher Dylan Charles but there is a photo that shows inappropriate sexual activity happened on campus.”
Turner placed the incident into a professional and moral context: “It should have never happened.” Turner elaborated: “It shows poor judgment, it shows a lack of good character, and it also shows a lack of respect for the taxpayer’s property.”
As alleged, “The report says Charles admitted he and Simmons routinely used the school to meet and engage in sexual activities.” Simmons denies the allegation. “School officials confirm both Simmons and Charles have resigned following the investigation.”
Adding to the complexity of the situation, according to “Banks News Today,” a third employee, Kelsey Charles, a 3rd-grade teacher at the school, resigned Wednesday. “According to the board of education report, Kelsey Charles is married to Dylan Charles and told investigators she recorded sexual encounters between her husband and Simmons.”
The Fox 5 report concluded with the disclosure that the “Banks County Superintendent Dr. Ann Hopkins denied our request for an interview but sent FOX 5 a statement.” The statement alleges, in part:
“Any issues concerning unethical conduct are thoroughly investigated, addressed accordingly, and reported to the Professional Standards Commission as necessary.” The District immediately hired independent investigators to conduct an investigation and provide a report of findings, the statement added. “The investigative report in question was reviewed by law enforcement for evidence of criminal activity.” None was found, the investigation concluded.
The brief statement concluded: “The safety and well-being of our students are always our first priority. The investigation into this event did not yield any indication that student safety or security was compromised.”
