Scottsboro teacher accused in student sex scandal faces new court date

Kandace Marie Christopher
Kandace Marie Christopher
photo Kandace Marie Christopher

A teacher in Scottsboro, Ala., city schools accused of having sex with a female student will appear in court Feb. 11.

Kandace Marie Christopher, 26, of Fort Payne, Ala., was arrested Jan. 26 on two charges related to her status as a school employee: having sexual contact with a student under age 19 and engaging in a sex act or deviant sexual intercourse with a student.

Christopher resigned from the Scottsboro City School system during an internal investigation and was released on $16,000 bond, according to school and court officials.

The status hearing before District Judge Robert Don Word will be Christopher's first appearance in court since her initial appearance last week following her arrest.

Court officials said the hearing is to determine whether Christopher has legal representation. She had no attorney on record on Friday, court officials said.

The school system issued a statement Tuesday stating that school officials had received a report of misconduct involving a teacher.

"We immediately notified [Alabama Department of Human Resources], the Scottsboro Police Department, and the Alabama State Department of Education," the statement said.

The investigation began after parents called Scottsboro police to say their teenager had run away after being confronted about a relationship with a teacher/coach, according to authorities. The girl was located several hours later and returned to her parents.

An investigation revealed the relationship between the female student and teacher took place over the last three months, police said.

Contact staff writer BenBenton at bbenton@timesfreepress.com or twitter.com/BenBenton or www.facebook.com/ben.benton1 or423-757-6569.

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