A Burke County High School teacher who has been charged with criminal sexual contact with a student was previously investigated for inappropriate contact with a student in another school system in 2017.
Scott W. Hooker, 40, of Augusta, is charged with three misdemeanor offenses _ improper sexual contact, sexual battery and battery. Hooker was released on a combined $17,700 bond Wednesday, April 27.
Burke County Sheriff Capt. Jimmy Wylds said by email that Hooker is accused of having sexual contact with a 17-year-old at school during school hours. The offenses allegedly occurred between Jan. 1 and March 25.
In February 2017, the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office was called in to investigate a complaint at Evans High School where Hooker was working. A 16-year-old student reported that Hooker had hugged her around the waist and then moved his hand down to her bottom, according to an incident report.
Others teachers and students at the school who were interviewed gave different accounts of Hooker’s interaction with that student and others. An administrator told the sheriff investigator that she had warned Hooker about being “overly friendly” with students.
The sheriff investigator’s report indicates that no arrest warrant was taken out for Hooker. According to court records he was never indicted either.
Thursday, the Burke County Sheriff’s Office reported in a news release that on March 29 the office “was alerted to an allegation of sexual assault that had occurred at the Burke County High School during school hours. The matter was turned over to the Criminal Investigation Division. At the conclusion of the investigation, Mr. Hooker was arrested for Improper Sexual Contact by an Employee (teacher), Sexual Battery, and Simple Battery and booked into the Burke County Detention Center.”
According to state salary data, Hooker is a RVI teacher at Burke County High School. The Burke County school system’s website has Hooker listed as a student services lead teacher and coordinator. The school system’s public information officer Amy Nunnally said by email that Hooker has been on paid administrative leave with pay since March 29. He was hired in August 2018 and was a special education teacher.
Superintendent Angela Williams released the following statement:
“The school district would never knowingly compromise the safety and well-being of students. Once the complaint was filed, the employee was immediately placed on administrative leave pending investigation and is not currently working on campus.
We have cooperated fully with the appropriate governmental agencies in connection with this investigation and will continue to do so. Any additional information will be released by law enforcement.”
Wylds said the alleged victim in the case was not a student of Hooker’s.
Sandy Hodson is a staff reporter covering courts for The Augusta Press. Reach her at sandy@theaugustapress.com.
