“Situation is Handled”

Staff Writer

School officials say they have dealt with the situation involving six Upson-Lee High School students allegedly performing sexual acts while in class Dec. 6.

According to officials, a substitute teacher was with the class and had turned off the lights to watch a movie during third period, which is around lunch time.

According to Upson County Sheriff's reports, this is when a 17-year-old female allegedly performed oral sex on five males ranging from 16-years-old to 17-years-old. All six were charged with disorderly conduct.

The regular teacher was administering end of semester exams, which have to be done by a certified teacher.

The 24-year-old substitute has been with the school since the start of the 2005 school year, but will not be asked back, according to Mike Gatlin, director of Personnel.

Gatlin said he was not a certified teacher, but is a college student who completed training to be a substitute, and administrators did run a background check.

“Substitutes go through an all-day training session on how to monitor a classroom,” he said. “In this case he was not patrolling the class as he should. We are reemphasizing to all our substitutes the importance of monitoring students.”

Gatlin said rumors of the substitute sleeping during class were unwarranted and untrue. Twenty-one students are registered for the class, but only 18 were in attendance Dec. 6.

Athletic Director Shad Seymour reported the incident to authorities after a student in the class said they were suspicious something had happened.

Gatlin also said no classroom at ULHS will be allowed to have the lights off, even for the use of ACTIVboards. Although the boards do not require the lights be turned off, teachers have been known to dim the lights while they are in use.

School Principal Cleve Hendrix said the matter has been dealt with.

“It's regrettable that this happened,” he said. “The students have been disciplined, and the situation has been investigated thoroughly.

“I am very bothered that something like this happened here at our school. This is not representative of our school and our students.”

The students were suspended, and Hendrix said further disciplinary action is pending.