Two teachers at a small private Christian school in Georgia have been charged with sexually abusing the same student.
Bonnie Elizabeth Brown, 25, and Sherri Delle Mauldin, 60, face multiple felony charges for the alleged abuse while teaching at Nathanael Greene Academy, a K-12 school in rural Siloam, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) said Monday.
Brown is reportedly a former homecoming queen at the school, where she attended in 2016.
“These women took advantage of their positions as my teachers,” the victim told 11 Alive through a statement by attorney Ashley Mitchell.
Brown was arrested Friday after police discovered she had allegedly engaged in sexual contact with the student during the time she worked at the School. At the time of her arrest, she was teaching at a primary school in Wilkes County. She now faces charges of improper sexual contact by an employee, agent, or foster parent.
Mauldin was arrested Monday following a GBI probe that revealed she also sexually assaulted the accuser during her employment at the school. She faces charges of improper sexual contact by an employee, agent, or foster parent, along with aggravated child molestation and statutory rape.
“I am relieved that these two women have been arrested and the crimes are being fully investigated,” the victim said in a statement.
“These women took advantage of their positions as my teachers. My school did not protect me as a child. I see that now, and I hope that these arrests will protect our community and children in it.”
Mitchell said that one of the teachers had been previously reprimanded for inappropriate conduct with the student. The attorney suggested that there could be more victims and stressed the difficulties victims face when coming forward.
“Students who are being groomed by teachers are in a very difficult situation,” she said. “It’s not until they’re removed from the situation and have the opportunity to process what happened that they feel comfortable speaking out.”
Nathanael Greene Academy released a statement Monday evening acknowledging that the school’s administration and Board of Trustees were aware of the arrests of the two former employees. The school said it will cooperate with the investigation.
Check back for updates.
[Feature Photo: Mayldin and Brown/Greene County Sheriff’s Office]
