Selma High teacher faces additional felony charge

Published 9:42 pm Thursday, October 31, 2013

Former Selma High teacher LaTanglia Williams is escorted out of the high school in April after being arrested. -- File Photo

Former Selma High teacher LaTanglia Williams is escorted out of the high school in April after being arrested. — File Photo

Former Selma High School teacher LaTanglia Williams, who was already facing a number of criminal charges for inappropriate contact with a student, now faces an additional felony after she was indicted Thursday on the charge of school employee having sexual intercourse with a student under the age of 19.

Williams, who remains on paid administrative leave, was arrested in April and charged with possession of obscene matter containing visual depiction of persons under the age of 17 involved in obscene acts, electronic solicitation of a child, enticing a minor for immoral purposes and a misdemeanor charge for a school employee having sexual contact with a student.

“This new charge, this felony, will be added to the other four charges,” District Attorney Michael Jackson said. “This new charge is from information we received since she was arrested in April. This is new information, new charges.”

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Jackson said Williams, who is out on bond, would not be rearrested, nor will her bond be changed. He said the case could go to trial in early December.

“At this point, it is scheduled for early December. We hope that it will be tried in December but you never know,” Jackson said referring to the expected busy court docket for December.

In late April, in adjusting her bond, District Court Bob Armstrong ordered Williams would not be allowed to have contact with children, organize or coordinate youth events for her church or sorority as she had in the past, contact the alleged victims and their families, and she is to live with her parents until the time of her trial.

Earlier this month, Selma City School Board Attorney Katy Campbell said the board followed all the proper laws and procedures in keeping Williams on paid administrative leave until her case is adjudicated.

Williams’ case is believed to have been the main catalyst for the Alabama Department of Education opening an investigation into the school system, an investigation that was completed recently.

In that report, one of the findings revealed the school system failed to adequately report and investigate allegations of inappropriate sexual behavior. As of Thursday, the school system was continuing to compile its response to those findings.