Hall teacher resigned after student relationship discovered

By Christopher Quinn

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Alan Keith Kirkland, 37, the North Hall High School band director who resigned suddenly last month, left after admitting to school administrators he had an "inappropriate relationship" with a female student.

According to a June 9 letter obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution from Hall County Schools to the Georgia Professional Standards Commission, another teacher reported suspicions of Kirkland's relationship May 10. The next day, administrators investigated and discovered Kirkland had exchanged "thousands" of text messages with the student, who is a senior. Also, other students complained that Kirkland was giving her preferential treatment.

Hall administrators called Kirkland to a meeting where he admitted he had a relationship with the student and resigned immediately, the letter says. It gives no details about the nature of the relationship. The case was turned over to the commission, which both qualifies and disciplines teachers.

Gary Walker, director of the commission's ethics division, said inappropriate relationships can range from improper communication to sex acts.

"The "inappropriate relationship" term refers to this range of actions until we can determine the extent of the relationship," he said in an email.

Richard Hill, the Director of Human Resources for Hall County Schools, said state law and school regulations prevent him from saying much about the investigation.

"We have notified law enforcement, the parent and family services," he said.

Kirkland, reached by phone, declined to comment.

His ex-wife Ashley Kirkland said by phone that she discovered the texts messages last January and initiated divorce proceedings. It was not the first time she found he had been texting another female, she said. When she got a call from the schools in May, she told them Kirkland sent more than 10,000 text messages to the student starting as early as last August. She did not know the content of the messages.

Kirkland's case can be added to other high-profile cases in Gwinnett and Cobb counties of teachers engaged in improper relationships with students. .

One is a female Gwinnett County teacher of the year who resigned after admitting to a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old football player. The second is a male former Cobb orchestra teacher who is awaiting trial for sexual assault and sodomy after admitting to a romantic relationship with a 17-year-old female.

Georgia legislators tightened laws in recent years tocurb such behavior. A 2008 law improved training for teachers in recognizing and reporting inappropriate relationships and also made it easier for the state and school districts to remove teachers involved in sexual misconduct.

On May 20, Gov. Sonny Perdue signed legislation directed at teachers who have sex with students. It is now a sexual assault on a person in custody, even if the sex is consensual and the student is of the age of consent (16 in Georgia). The felony is punishable by one to 25 years in prison or a $100,000 fine if the child is 16 or older, and 25 to 50 years in prison if the student is under 16.