Pubdate: Thu, 26 Apr 2018
Source: Fresno Bee, The (CA)
Copyright: 2018 The Fresno Bee
Contact:  http://www.fresnobee.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/161
Author: Scott Berson

TEACHER RAQUEL SPENCER HAD HEROIN IN GA SCHOOL, POLICE SAY

Teachers at Northwest High School near Dalton, Ga. first became
concerned when their colleague, 28-year-old cheer coach and English
teacher Raquel Spencer, seemed to have trouble carrying on a coherent
conversation, according to the Times Free Press.

Alarmed by her "unusual behavior," she was escorted to an office and
consented to a search of her belongings, Whitfield County Schools
spokesperson Eric Beavers told the Dalton Daily-Citizen.

That's when the school resource officer found heroin in her
belongings, the paper reported.

"I was in band class and I caught the tail end of the cops escorting
her out to the cop car. They had her in handcuffs and there were a
couple of detectives," a student at the school told WRCB.

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She was charged Wednesday with possession of heroin. Now police say
they've discovered something else.

"We are still in the preliminary investigation, but it has come to
light she has been carrying on a sexual relationship with a student at
the school," Capt. Paul Woods told the Dalton Daily-Citizen. "We are
still investigating."

Woods told the Times Free Press he found text messages between Spencer
and a student that contained "sexual content."

"We have no reason to think that anyone was in any danger. I think
this is just an isolated incident, hopefully," Sheriff Scott Chitwood
told WRCB. "We don't know how far the history goes back and that's
what we're checking on."

Whitfield County Superintendent Judy Gilreath told NewsChannel9
Spencer had worked for the district since 2013 and had always been a
"good teacher."

Gilreath was taking steps to recommend her termination, but Spencer
resigned of her own accord Monday, the station reported.

Spencer now faces an additional charge of sexual assault by persons
with supervisory or disciplinary authority, according to WSB-TV.
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