Alissa McCommon, the fourth grade teacher recently charged with raping a 12-year-old, officially resigned her position last week.
The news came during a school board meeting last week.
“A few hours ago, I received a phone call from Ms. McCommon’s attorney. We have accepted her resignation,” said the school district’s attorney, Steve Shields. “She will no longer be with this school system in any form of a manner.”
Further, Shields explained the district is allowing law enforcement to handle the investigations into the sexual assaults which have been alleged.
Late last month, it was reported to the school board McCommon, who’d taught at Crestview Elementary School before joining Charger Academy this year, was engaged in inappropriate relationships with teenagers.
Covington police charged her with one count of rape of a child on Friday, Sept. 8. Additional charges may be forthcoming.
The investigation is being conducted jointly by the Covington Police Department and the Tipton County Sheriff’s Office. While specific details of the case have not been made public due to its sensitive nature, law enforcement officials have confirmed that the investigation is centered around accusations of improper relationships between the teacher and students.
At the school board meeting, TCSO Chief Deputy Chris Williams addressed concerned parents and community members, providing an update on the investigation.
He emphasized that no charges have yet been filed by TCSO as the investigation is still ongoing. The law enforcement agencies involved are working diligently to gather all the necessary evidence and conduct thorough interviews with potential witnesses.
“One of the questions that has arisen was specifically between us and [Superintendent] Dr. [John] Combs. Have we asked him do not interview witnesses? Absolutely,” Williams said. “We’ve done that for multiple reasons and at the advice of the district attorney. And some of those reasons are, one, we don’t want to victimize witnesses more than once. The least amount of times they have to tell their stories, the better. That’s standard with all child cases. We have a child protective investigative team, and that’s the whole point of it is to bring as little trauma onto the victims as possible.”
Williams said having the school board involved in interviews makes things more difficult for the legal process, too.
“You can look at impeachment issues at that point, credibility issues. Obviously, you’re getting a defense attorney. Two bites at the apple. So we have asked not just Dr. Combs, but we’ve asked everybody involved in this case outside of law enforcement to please don’t talk, don’t ask questions, don’t answer questions. Please leave it to us. Let us have time to do our job and just be understanding that it’s a slow process, unfortunately, but we want to do it right. We want to do it right from the first.”
Combs expressed his support for the ongoing investigation and assured the community that the school district is fully cooperating with law enforcement. Dr. Combs emphasized the importance of conducting a comprehensive and accurate investigation to ensure justice is served.
As the investigation continues, law enforcement officials are urging anyone with information related to the case to come forward and assist in the process.
The authorities are determined to ensure that all facts are thoroughly examined and that justice is served, while keeping the best interest of the students at the forefront.
McCommon’s charge has drawn worldwide attention, and has been featured in The Daily Mail and People Magazine. It has also been the subject of several TikToks published by true crime creators.
The 38-year-old mother and former teacher was released on a $25,000 bond. She is set to appear in court on Oct. 12.
The allegations have been compared to the Cindy Clifton case.
In 2011, the Crestview Middle School teacher was indicted on 53 counts, including purchasing beer for a minor, aggravated rape, and 14 counts of statutory rape by an authority figure.
Clifton, whose name is now Cindy Carter, served a three-year prison term and currently resides in Henry County. Her case involved 11 victims.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact the Covington Police Department or the Tipton County Sheriff’s Office.
[…] taught fifth grade at Crestview Elementary until this school year, according to the Covington Leader. She reportedly joined Charger Academy, teaching fourth-grade English/Language arts. That’s where […]