Walker County teachers union president charged with possession of child pornography after student says she found porn on his iPad

Jim Barrett
Jim Barrett
photo Walker County Association of Educators President Jim Barrett

Jim Barrett, the head of the Walker County Association of Educators and an outspoken critic of central office administration, was arrested Friday for possession of child pornography.

The Walker County Sheriff's Office began investigating Barrett in November, after he loaned his iPad to a student so she could finish a class assignment. The student told investigators she found pornography listed in Barrett's Internet history.

The girl took pictures on her phone and showed her parents, according to a search warrant affidavit. Her parents notified school officials.Walker County Schools Coordinator of Technology Scott Harden took Barrett's iPad and searched through the content. He told investigators he found what appeared to be "child erotica type material" on Youtube, according to the affidavit.

Harden also looked through Barrett's Google search history and told investigators he found entries related to young children and pornography. He said he also found an audio file titled, "two Arabic boys being raped."

The sheriff's office searched Barrett's classroom and Honda Element on Nov. 16. Investigators with the Fort Oglethorpe Police Department also searched his home.

According to the search warrant, the sheriff's took Barrett's MacBook Pro, iPad and iPhone. In a press release today, Walker County Sheriff Steve Wilson said forensic analysts with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation found child pornography on at least one of those devices.

Barrett was booked into the Catoosa County Jail on Friday and was released later in the day. His attorney, Sanford Wallack, told the Times Free Press in an email, "We look forward to the opportunity to respond to the allegations in court in showing his innocence."

Barrett has been a frequent and outspoken critic of the Walker County Board of Education and Superintendent Damon Raines. Beginning in 2014, he spoke out against the standards-based grading system that Raines implemented. He then sued the board in March 2015, alleging its public comment policy was unconstitutional.
The case lasted three years, with U.S. District Court and U.S. Court of Appeals justices siding with Barrett. In theory, the judges argued, Raines could block critics from speaking at board meetings because the policy required the speaker to meet with him privately first. The key issue? Raines could potentially delay a meeting indefinitely - though there was no specific example of that ever happening.

Last year, Barrett accused Raines of pressuring employees into advocating for political purposes. Raines frequently forwarded emails to the staff about bills in the state Legislature. In one email, Raines' subject line read, "Vote NO on HB 482." Barrett said Raines abused his power. Raines said he was forwarding a message from the Professional Association of Georgia Educators to keep the staff informed. (Raines also gave every employee the email addresses for local representatives and senators.)

Barrett is still listed as a teacher on the school district's website. Raines did not return a call or text message asking what Barrett's current status is.

It's also not clear if he is still the president of the local chapter of the union. Debbie Baker, who served as vice president of the union last year, did not return a call or text message seeking comment.

Contact staff writer Tyler Jett at 423-757-6476 or tjett@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @LetsJett.

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