Local teacher arrested for sexual battery

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – It’s a tale we have been pursuing for two months.

A pattern of inappropriate habits and allegations of assault from 40-year-old Scott Hooker.

It was an emotional instant for Madison Cooksey and her family as she stood up in entrance of members of the board of training and sent an psychological plea for transform.

“With my practical experience with reporting and placing my have confidence in in the school board to advocate for me… I was failed. I hope that in the upcoming, any student or personnel reporting sexual harassment will be properly advocated for, taken significantly, and guarded,” reported Maddison Cooksey, target of alleged sexual assault.

It wasn’t quick for her to communicate in entrance of the board members. Not only since she was nervous, but mainly because she states they practically didn’t let her. She gained a phone the early morning of the assembly, which the college board says is protocol.

“Who told me I should chat about the subject of discussion because it was as well imprecise for their liking and needed to know what I was chatting about at the meeting. If it was some thing they could take care of internally and if it was a thing that genuinely needed to be place out to the board and spoken about publicly,” she said.

When Cooksey went to the conference, she suggests they explained to her she could not talk for the reason that she didn’t demonstrate up on time in accordance to their coverage, even nevertheless she claims she was waiting out in the hallway in advance of the deadline.

“I hope I obtained as a result of to them or some people in the assembly,” reported Cooksey.

She broke down, saying practically nothing was performed after numerous incidents.

“At what stage does it acquire for the disciplinary actions to be place in area. The educator had many possibilities to victimize feminine college students he was about. There are so many queries that need to be answered as to why this is nonetheless happening,” she reported.

In Hooker’s staff file we requested, the Evans Substantial principal and Columbia County superintendent both equally say if one thing like this occurs all over again, he could be fired.

Two months later on, deputies ended up referred to as to Evans significant following incident studies say Cooksey advised deputies Hooker would typically cross paths with her and stand up coming to her when staring at her. Hooker continued to train at Evans right before handing in his resignation at the conclusion of the school yr.

“Five many years afterwards, he did it yet again. This could’ve very easily been prevented if any individual experienced listened to me,” she reported.

We questioned Columbia County about Hooker’s sample of concerns involving woman students. In an email response, they say the district did not admit a pattern even however letters in his personnel file present the superintendent was worried about his earlier interactions with feminine college students.

“I just never realize when one thing is in producing, and you are wanting at it, and you’re telling me it is not accurate when it’s right in front of your face. I just really do not see how you can do that,” explained Cooksey.

In the meantime, a parent in Burke County — in which Hooker is accused of groping a student in an incident that led to his arrest — has stepped forward with new promises.

The mum or dad reached out to deputies on Friday right after discovering about the latest scenario, in accordance to the Burke County Sheriff’s Business office.

She said her daughter was a college student of Hooker’s in the 2021-22 faculty calendar year and experienced explained to her Hooker built her unpleasant on a number of instances, according to an incident report from the company.

The mother advised deputies she requested that the university assign her daughter a new instructor but was denied. The mother claimed Hooker was adamant in remaining solely accountable for her daughter’s tutoring, like “one on one” tutoring at the library, according to deputies.

The mom “stated she thinks additional is likely on than what her daughter is telling her” and asked for that a report be submitted to get started the method for an investigation, according to the incident report.

Copyright 2022 WRDW/WAGT. All legal rights reserved.