Private school in metro Atlanta uncovers evidence of sexual misconduct dating back decades

NORCROSS, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – Three former employees of a metro Atlanta private school have been charged with lewd crimes, some dating back decades.

The accusations came to light after the school retained an investigative firm to investigate the allegations.

Greater Atlanta Christian (GAC) School in Norcross discovered that these former employees engaged in multiple acts of sexual misconduct with former students.

An investigation revealed that one of them had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old student and that same employee was also accused of sending sexual messages to another girl at the school.

The incidents occurred between 1970 and the early 2000s, according to the school.

Greater Atlanta Christian School alumna Allie McFadden was one of more than 6,000 former students contacted by school officials about the investigation.

According to the notice sent to former students, current families, faculty and staff, the school hired a firm to investigate the claims and encouraged former students to come forward.

“They interviewed different people who may or may not have been touched by teachers, various things, so it seems like it was pretty thorough,” McFadden said.

The community now has a first glimpse of the results.

“It’s really sad to hear that some students may have been raped in an inappropriate way, so that’s disappointing,” McFadden said.

The school said the investigation found that when former students reported this, school officials at the time did not contact law enforcement or child services, but the school today said it was a different school.

In a statement, President Scott Harsh said “a nationally recognized investigative firm” had looked into the allegations made.

Harsh said the school would provide financial support for therapy for injured students.

“Our school has continued to progress and improve from what it was decades ago and is now much stronger in the way student safety issues are handled, with training and awareness much greater to student safety and appropriate adult-student interactions and boundaries,” Harsh said. “We now have a more proactive and comprehensive approach and we will never be complacent when it comes to student safety. »

School leaders also apologized to the GAC community and promised to change safeguarding policies and require more thorough background checks.

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