Cops: DeKalb teacher picked up student, 13, to molest her at park

Xavier Sanders (Credit: DeKalb jail)

Xavier Sanders (Credit: DeKalb jail)

UPDATE: The school district confirmed Thursday a tribunal had voted unanimously to recommend the school board fire Sanders.

(Original story, published Dec. 14:)

A DeKalb County middle school math teacher is accused of child molestation after police found him with a 13-year-old girl at a public park, newly released records reveal.

Xavier Tamon Sanders, 33, was arrested on Nov. 22 and has since been released on $50,000 bond, jail records show.

The school district confirmed Thursday a tribunal had voted unanimously to recommend the school board fire Sanders.

Most recently assigned to Mary McLeod Bethune Middle, Sanders was taken off classroom work after his arrest, a police report said. He’s no longer listed on the school’s website.

Reached by phone Wednesday night, Sanders said he couldn’t talk and promised to have his lawyer call a reporter back. The call didn’t come by Thursday afternoon.

Officers found Sanders just before midnight in late August at Exchange Park, an incident report said.

Both said they were just talking and that Sanders had picked her up from her house after she sneaked out.

The girl’s mother would later say she knew Sanders had taught his daughter seventh grade math, but she knew of no relationship.

Police allegedly found lewd electronic messages between the teacher and former student.

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