Former Cobb County principal, teacher charged in sex abuse case

by Kimathi Lewis

A Cobb County high school principal and a social studies teacher were charged Thursday after two students reported being sexually assaulted at the school.

The teacher is accused of committing the assault, and the principal of concealing it, according to Cobb County police. Both were out on bond Friday.

The investigation began on Friday, May 18 when a Kell High School student told school officials he had been the victim of battery and sexual battery the day before, police spokesman Sgt. Dana Pierce said.

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Cobb County police found out about the incident the following Tuesday, Sgt. Pierce said.

It was unclear why the school waited four days before reporting the alleged crime.

Then two days later on May 24, a second student reported being a victim of battery, which occurred earlier that day, police said.

This time school officials notified police the same day, Sgt. Pierce said.

Their investigation resulted in the two arrests:

Police charged Mr. James Chadwick Brigham, 37, of Canton, with felony sexual battery and two counts of misdemeanor battery for the incidents that allegedly occurred inside the school, Sgt. Pierce said.

Mr. Brigham is a social studies teacher at Kell, according to the school’s website.

Ms. Trudie Irene Donovan, 61, of Marietta, faces a misdemeanor charge of failing to report child abuse, Sgt. Pierce said.

Ms. Donovan retired as principal of Kell earlier this month after serving six years, according to the school’s website.

Still, it was unclear why police charged Ms. Donovan.

A school spokesman declined to discuss the charges, saying they involve personnel issues, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

Mr. Brigham turned himself in at the jail at 8:25 p.m. Thursday, and has since been released on $25,000 bond.

Ms. Donovan turned herself in shortly after 7 p.m., and has since been released on $1,000 bond, the paper reported.

Source : examiner