A former teacher accused of having sexual contact with students was granted a $25,000 bond Monday, Sept. 26.
Scott Hooker, 40, has been in jail since his August indictment in Columbia County. At his Superior Court bond hearing Monday, Assistant District Attorney Natalie Paine said the case against Hooker was taken back to a grand jury after he was accused of similar conduct in Burke County where he was teaching earlier this year.
In Columbia County in 2017 a teen accused Hooker of inappropriate conduct including putting his hand on her buttocks. The Board of Education and the sheriff’s office investigated but when the case was presented to the grand jury in 2017, it chose not to indict him. A letter of reprimand was placed in Hooker’s personnel file, and he continued to teach. Two years earlier, he had been warned about being too personal with students, according to his employee file.
Paine said she learned from the victim this year that although he was instructed not to have any contact with the student who accused him of sexual contact, he would show up in her classes and other places at school to the point the sheriff’s office was contacted again.
Hooker left Columbia County and taught in Richmond County for a year and then started with Burke County in 2018, according to personal records.
In April, a student in Burke County reported inappropriate touching by Hooker. He was charged in Burke County with sexual contact by a person with supervisory authority. Although it was similar contact to what allegedly occurred in Columbia County, because the law was changed in 2020, Burke County only charged Hooker with the misdemeanor offense because the alleged contact was over the clothing, the prosecutor said Monday.
In Columbia County, Hooker is charged with the felony offense of sexual contact by a person with supervisory authority because in 2017, the law didn’t differentiate between contact above or below clothing.
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Defense attorney Peter Johnson asked for a reasonable bond for Hooker who has no criminal history. Johnson said he has heard from many educators who speak highly of Hooker’s character and dedication to the profession. Johnson also noted that there is another side to the allegations that isn’t criminal acts.
Judge J. Wade Padgett granted bond with a set of special conditions. Hooker must be supervised and on electronic monitoring while on bond. He is prohibited from have any kind of contact with the alleged victims in Columbia and Burke counties. He is also prohibited from having direct contact with any child or any place where children frequent.
Hooker was granted a bond in Burke County of $18,000. He was free on that bond when arrested on a Columbia County grand jury arrest warrant.
Sandy Hodson is a staff reporter covering courts for The Augusta Press. Reach her at sandy@theaugustapress.com.
