After teacher accused of sex with student in closet at high school, parents question what was taught in biology class
By Cody Alcorn
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DOUGLAS COUNTY, Georgia (WXIA) — Days after a Douglas County high school teacher was arrested and accused of having sex with a student, parents are now raising a new set of concerns, questioning not only what was happening inside the classroom, but whether students were being properly taught at all.
Parents reached out to 11Alive over the weekend, alleging students in Maris Nichols’ biology classes at Alexander High School were not taught the curriculum expected throughout the school year.
Parents said the allegations involving a student are already disturbing, but now fear some students may have fallen behind academically as testing, grades and course credit deadlines approach.
Nichols, a biology teacher at Alexander High School and operations manager for the school’s football team, was arrested Friday after investigators accused her of having sex with a student on two occasions, including inside a classroom closet on campus and later inside an SUV off campus in Douglas County.
Court records obtained by 11Alive show Nichols is charged with two counts of improper sexual contact by employee, agent or foster parent.
According to warrants, investigators allege Nichols had sex with a student inside a closet shared between classrooms at Alexander High School in April. A second warrant accuses Nichols of having sex with the same student earlier this month inside a Hummer H2 parked at the end of a driveway at a Douglasville home.
Nichols bonded out of jail over the weekend. The criminal investigation remains ongoing.
Now, parents said their frustration is growing not only over the allegations themselves, but over what they describe as a lack of communication and transparency from both the school and district leaders.
Some parents told 11Alive their children described an environment where little instruction was taking place inside the biology classroom throughout much of the school year. Others questioned how the situation was allowed to continue without intervention.
One parent, who asked not to be identified to protect their child’s privacy, said families are still searching for answers.
“As parents, our highest priority is the safety and well being of our children, a responsibility we expect every institution and individual involved to share,” the parent said.
“We’re not asking for special treatment. We are asking for transparency, accountability, and fairness. Unfortunately, our concerns have repeatedly been met with resistance, limited communication, and a lack of meaningful reassurance that appropriate measures are being taken to protect all children involved, including our own.”
11Alive reached out to the Douglas County School System regarding the allegations that Nichols failed to teach the required biology curriculum throughout the school year.
In a statement sent Monday evening, a district spokesperson said, “The Douglas County School System is committed to the academic success of every student. We are not able to comment further on this matter at this time.”
11Alive has also repeatedly asked district leaders whether Nichols remains employed by the school system. Those questions have gone unanswered.
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