A Richmond County Board of Education investigation has uncovered a sex scandal involving teachers, coaches and the principal of an Augusta middle school.
Calling it an "embarrassment" and "yucky," Superintendent Dana Bedden said seven Spirit Creek Middle School faculty members have been implicated in the incidents, which ranged from a pat on the butt to sexual trysts on an inflatable mattress in the school's public safety office during school hours.
At a news conference Monday, Dr. Bedden added several more faculty members to the lengthy list of staff and faculty implicated in the incidents. Refusing to provide names, Dr. Bedden said the school's graduation coach, who is listed as John Barksdale, was issued a letter of reprimand. Another unnamed teacher has been reprimanded and suspended.
A special education teacher and a physical education teacher were issued letters of advisement, which Dr. Bedden said informed them that allegations had been made against them but that the school board did not have enough information to pursue punishment.
This comes after the resignations of teacher Denise Ogden and former Principal Sharon McAlevy in November, and the firing of former school board public safety officer Ronnie Collins from his job with the Richmond County Sheriff's Office in October.
The investigation into the incidents began earlier this year when Ms. Ogden, writing under a pseudonym, sent an e-mail to the members of the school system claiming that faculty members were having sex during school hours.
After roughly two months, during which the Georgia Bureau of Investigation conducted polygraph tests on school staff, Dr. Bedden said investigators concluded Ms. Ogden was having a relationship with Mr. Collins -- who was one of the school's public safety officers at the time. A third person, whose identity was unclear, Dr. Bedden said, completed what has been called a "love triangle."
Dr. Bedden apologized and said no pupils are believed to have been around when the incidents occurred. Calling the situation "uncomfortable," Dr. Bedden said the sheer number of allegations made it difficult to distinguish fact from fiction.
"I have to be honest with you, as superintendent, this is probably one of the most difficult things I've had to do to try to make sure to be fair to people, but at the same time to hold these people accountable," he said.
Dr. Bedden did not rule out additional action against faculty and staff should more information come to light.
"This is not a perfect science," he said. "Anytime you are dealing with people, allegations are made that are true and some that are made are false. But in the end we try get at the truth as opposed to what is sensationalized or what makes for exciting conversation."
Two out of the seven people accused are still working at the middle school, he said.
Reach Adam Folk at (706) 823-3339 or adam.folk@augustachronicle.com.
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Sex education Richmond County style ! What hypcocrites!!
A failure of the Principal to properly control personnel and the result is a natural one of a breakdown in professional conduct. Sounds like too many females, too few males and the teacher sending an e-mail on her way out to alert the school system possibly due to bitterness. Ha! And don't think the students didn't know because they are extremely aware of such relationships between adults, 'cause those same adults are telling students to be honorable, truthful, and doing whats right. Again, Ha!
Yes the school staff really does have the interest of educating our children on their minds.......
Too much of a ghetto mentality there.
I would like to see more photos of all those that were reprimanded and fired.
You would think teachers would be more aware of the "a time and place" philosophy.
I actually heard about this on Jay Leno's show weeks ago during his monologue before it was ever broken in the news here. His remark was "how ugly do the students have to be that the teachers are having sex with each other". I couldn't believe my ears!
"Ghetto mentality"? Most everyone would acknowledge that "ghetto" is code for black among a certain portion of our white population. Do you know for a fact that all involved are African-American? There are lots of perfectly accurate and descriptive words for what this conduct is, but "ghetto" is not one of them.
so, midwesterntransplant, what other words do you believe are code for referencing blacks? do you hear these words even when people aren't speaking to you (i.e. "little voices in your little head")? do you have al sharpton on speed dial for those moments when you're sure you're good and outraged?
Midwest -- it is what it is. You can label by race if that's your choice, but I don't think that was the intent of 'ilet'. Staff doing the nasty while on the job (especially a public job directly involving children) is nothing shy of ghetto. The only real shame here is that many of the culprits are still employed, on our dime.
Girl's sofball coach in Columbia County has sex with female student. If they could just get over that "ghetto" mentality in Col County.
The sign in the teachers' lounge used to have to only say "NO SMOKING." I wonder if they will add other things to it? :)
So... let me get this correct...James Barksdale was reprimanded because he DID NOT tattle on his fellow co-workers. Some change from just a few years ago when 27 teachers gave testimony of unethical and illegal conduct to the same Sgt. Ike Williams regarding a former principal of CT Walker Magnet school. We all know what happened there. Hence, the teachers are damned if they inform and damned if they don't.
WOW The sex police are out in force, huh? Make everything a crime so everyone will be criminals.
That's how some folks make it to the top by having sex with the boss or someone in a supervisory position. This bunch sounds like were acting like a bunch of animals in heat and they definitely lack self control. A mattress in the school's public safety office? Didn't they think anyone would notice. Duh! I wonder if they took their mattress home with them when they got the boot!
usnvet, I don't believe that these escapades are part of their job duties and are what we are paying our teachers for. If they want each other so badly then they need to rent a room or go wherever on their own time. Any spouses involved? If so, I wonder what they think about their partner's "work performance".
Just think all they used to teach at school was reading, writing and arithmatic -- times have changed -- no wonder our students are mixed up about some things....
That didn't call it a mattress. It was the spaceship to the heavens.
What's that mattress doing in here? And why's it so sticky?
what a load of trash!!!
So Ogden busts everyone under a false name because she got burned - spell it with me class - I-M-M-A-T-U-R-E
PA sytem: "Baby, come to the office now."
What is the difference between an adult and a child? Just their age in this case.
As distasteful as this is, the silver lining may be that no innocent children were involved. I think it's important that participants are named, pictures are published, teaching licenses are revoked. These folks will show up at other schools responsible for our children if not.
I agree....they NEVER put photos of people like that in here anymore. Their faces should be plastered all over the tv news AND newspaper!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Others have been in the past and they didn't do HALF of what these have done!!!
and homeschooling is a bad idea because.....??????
These people are animals...acting like randy goats and should be fired..all names should be published and public humiliation incouraged. Where is the outrage from the parents of the children at this school??? Is this such a common place thing in that community that having sex on a mattress in a classroom is considered ok???? and there is no "silver lining" here kids are not stupid...next the kids themselves will be performing acts in the restrooms..oh...wait they already do that...monkey see...monkey do.
"ghetto" meaning, in this instance, a minority,hopefully, of sex-crazed low-minded individuals who are involved in same behaviors and careers...Ghetto could describe any group of people who are viewed with less than equal status or a group viewed as overworked and underpaid i.e. police officers, teachers, firemen, women(pink ghetto)...The idea that ghetto is unique to a specific race is racist...Ghetto is correctly used when it comes to disgusting unprofessional behaviors such as the above activities...
Ghetto-1: a quarter of a city in which Jews were formerly required to live
2: a quarter of a city in which members of a minority group live especially because of social, legal, or economic pressure.
Yep the only minority specifically mentioned are the jews. Minority would likely be asian, hispanic, or black.
I guess the assumption of race is revealing and perhaps racist.
why was not a picture of the principal shown on tv? is because she is white or because her husband works at the board office???????
Public school employees don't make much money. Maybe this should just be considered a perk. I know my years teaching college wouldn't have been worth it if not for the hundreds of young females I was able to seduce. I considered it a part of their education and my salary. Just kiddin! hee.hee.hee. But the practice is common place. All my mentors (married) for my graduate degrees were all fooling around with the students. One even warned me of the temptation and not to do it-although it never stopped him.