Wednesday, December 12, 2001
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Wednesday, December 12, 2001 |
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Starr's Mill teacher arrested for sexual affair with student By JOHN
MUNFORD
Taped phone conversations between a student at Starr's Mill High School and his English teacher have led to the teacher's arrest on felony sexual assault charges for having an off-campus affair with the student. Laura Lynne Voyles, 38, an English teacher at Starr's Mill, resigned after she was confronted with evidence of her affair with an 18-year-old student by Principal Sam Sweat, said schools spokesman Melinda Berry-Dreisbach. Law enforcement authorities also were alerted by school officials as soon as the information was reported to the school, Berry-Dreisbach said. Voyles, who taught advanced placement and gifted English courses, had been with the school system for 12 years. Her resignation was routinely accepted Tuesday morning along with five other personnel changes in a called meeting of the Board of Education. Detectives with the Fayette County Sheriff's Department said there is evidence that the affair between Voyles and the student lasted for approximately one year. Voyles was charged with having sex with a person in custody. According to Georgia law, any custodian who has sex with an enrolled student would qualify for these charges, even if the victim consented to the sexual activity. According to the warrants for Voyles's arrest, at least one of the incidents took place at her home. Investigators do not have any evidence that any impropriety took place on school grounds, according to officials. If convicted, Voyles faces between one and three years in prison. School officials have alerted the state's Professional Standards and Practices Commission so that body can determine whether she will be allowed to keep her license to teach in Georgia. The student is still enrolled at Starr's Mill and is a senior this year, Berry-Dreisbach said. He took a class from Voyles last year and was enrolled in one of her classes this year, Berry-Dreisbach added. Law enforcement officials would not release the student's name due to a Georgia statute protecting the identity of victims of sex crimes. It was confirmed, however, that the student was 17 at the time the alleged incidents began, although he is now 18.
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