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Carrie O'Connor
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Indicted Counselor Out on Bond
Last Update: 12/11/2007 3:22:25 PM
Author: Kari Webb
A Montgomery County high school counselor now faces criminal charges
for allegedly having sex with a student.
A grand jury indicted Carrie O'Conner Monday on a charge of sexual
assault against a student by a school teacher or administrator.
Some people say punishment for the counselor has been a long time
coming.
According to the indictment, O'Conner, who is 33, and the 16-year-old
student allegedly had a sexual relationship from the beginning of
January until the end of July.
Accordng to police, a student reported the abuse to a teacher and a
probation officer working at the school in March.
The teacher and officer avoided reporting the incident to Montgomery
schools superintendent Dale Clark because she is the counselor's
mother, according to Mount Vernon chief of police B.L. Horne.
Horne says he turned the case over to the GBI.
O'Conner was suspended for a short time in March, but continued
working at the school through the end of the year and returned as a
counselor for the 2007 school year.
Members of the community say they are disappointed with the school
board and superintendent.
Angela Bell of Mount Vernon says "How can this happen at our school?
How can there be all this cover up stuff going on right here amongst
our children?"
When the GBI requested all contact stop between O'Conner and the
student last Tuesday, Principal Luke Smith sent a letter to the boy's
parents.
He wrote that the boy would be sent to the alternative school until
the GBI completed its investigation. Meanwhile O'Conner could remain
counseling at the high school.
But on Wednesday, the school's lawyers said the student could return
to school as long as he and O'Conner stayed separated.
On Monday, GBI investigators removed O'Connor from the school.
Tuesday, Carrie O'Connor was released from the Irwin County Detention
Center on a $20,000 bond.
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