A prestigious Christian school in Georgia, US, has permanently closed after two female teachers became embroiled in alleged sex scandals involving the same teenage student. Sherri Maudlin, 61, was sentenced to 12 years in prison for statutory rape of a teenage boy, while her colleague Bonnie Brown, 26, faces trial on eight counts of improper sexual contact by an educator.
Details of the Case
Bonnie Brown, a former language arts teacher at Nathanael Greene Academy, was arrested in March and has pleaded not guilty. The alleged victim, now 19, testified that sexual encounters began in 2023 when he was 16. He claimed the relationship started after a literary competition in Macon, with the first sexual encounter occurring at his aunt's house before spring break 2023.
Evidence and Testimony
Prosecutors introduced a drawing the boy made of Brown's bedroom, which he said he remembered from his visits. The teen testified that they used Snapchat for explicit messages because the messages disappear. He admitted initially denying the relationship to investigators out of fear of public exposure and warned Brown about the investigation via Instagram.
Brown's defense questioned the teen's credibility, citing inconsistencies in his testimony and text messages where he denied the relationship. They also noted that explicit messages and photos were not recovered. Brown declined to testify in her own defense.
Impact on the School
Nathanael Greene Academy, a fee-paying Christian school, was forced to close permanently due to the scandal. The case is now with the jury for deliberation after closing arguments.
