A former Woodstock High School chorus teacher pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting six students under the age of 18 and was sentenced to three years in prison.
As part of his negotiated plea, Ryan Parker McKendrick will serve the remainder of his 20-year sentence on probation. McKendrick, who also pleaded guilty to cruelty to children, is prohibited from having contact with the victims and anyone under 18.
The case stemmed from allegations that McKendrick had sexual contact with the female students between 2017 and 2018. Authorities began investigating McKendrick after school officials learned of concerning text messages involving him and two students.
McKendrick resigned from his post as director of the high school’s chorus and orchestra in 2018, according to the Cherokee County School District, where he had been employed since 2007.
“He groomed not only these girls, but also everyone around him, so that he could continue to engage in this troubling behavior,” Cherokee Assistant District Attorney Leyna Pope said in a news release issued Friday. “It was a privilege to stand beside these girls as they finally got to address the man who abused them.”
McKendrick’s attorneys had no immediate comment Friday.
