A former teacher at Kell High School in Cobb County pleaded guilty last week to five counts of sexual assault against a student.

Spencer Herron, 49, was sentenced to five years in prison and 15 years probation.  All of the counts involved the same victim.

He still faces charges stemming from the same case in Cherokee County.

Herron previously taught video at Kell and was named a ‘teacher of the year’ for the 2016-2017 school year.

According to court papers, the assaults began over the summer break in 2016, when Herron met with a female student several times "under the pretense of meeting for a non-existent school club."

The abuse continued to 2017. Herron was arrested in June.

The Cobb County School District did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The district has come under fire from concerned parents over its refusal to address allegations of sex abuse.

About the Author

Keep Reading

Georgia Lt. Gov. Lester Maddox, angry about an article, burns a copy of The Atlanta Constitution in the state Senate on March 10, 1971, saying the paper did not have the "guts, integrity, manhood or decency" to report the situation accurately. (AJC file)

Credit: AP FILE

Featured

Ja’Quon Stembridge, shown here in July at the Henry County Republican Party monthly meeting, recently stepped from his position with the Georgia GOP. (Jenni Girtman for the AJC)

Credit: Jenni Girtman