Norcross Christian school confirms 3 past employees were sexually inappropriate with students, staff

NORCROSS, Ga. — The Greater Atlanta Christian School confirmed to Channel 2 Action News that three former male staff members were engaged in sexual misconduct during the 1970s, 1980s and 2000s.

According to a summary of the investigation provided to Channel 2 Action News, one staff member engaged in sexual misconduct did so with a member of staff, while other staff engaged in sexual misconduct with students at the school.

The allegations under investigation occurred between the late 1970s and the first decade of the 2000s, according to GAC.

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GAC President Dr. Scott Harsh wrote that the investigation was prompted by a report of misconduct received in March 2023. After receiving the information, GAC sent a letter to their alumni, current families, faculty and staff informing them of the report, and hired T&M USA, LLC to conduct an independent investigation into the allegations.

As part of that process, Harsh wrote that “We encouraged anyone with information about sexually inappropriate behavior by an employee towards a student at GACS, regardless of when it occurred over our 56-year history, to contact T&M. For the past year we have worked closely with T&M to ensure a full and thorough investigation.”

With the investigation now concluded, GAC shared a summary of the findings with Channel 2 Action News.

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According to officials, three male employees engaged in acts of sexual misconduct with students and other staff.

The first employee misconduct investigated involved a man working for the school in the early 1980s. The investigation found that the employee had “engaged in separate instances of sexual misconduct with a faculty member and three female s students who were in grades 8 through 11.”

Another employee engaged in acts of sexual misconduct with three female students from the 10th to 12th grades between the late 1970s and 1980s, the school’s investigation reported.

A third employee was engaging in a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old female student in the first decade of the 2000s, according to the GAC investigation. After leaving the school, GAC said the same former employee also sent “sexually-related instant messages to a second female student,” and that while that student reported the situation to the school, GAC “failed to offer appropriate support to her.”

GAC said in their report summary that they had not been aware of the employee misconduct as it was occurring, and in a small number of instances, “when the school did become aware of reports of misconduct, while the school did inform parents, the school failed to make reports to law enforcement or child protective services.”

After reviewing the findings of the investigation, the GAC Board of Trustees and members of school leadership issued an apology to their former students, reading in part:

“We apologize to the former students not only for any mistreatment by any adults at our school, but for those times when school leadership did not manage these matters appropriately. We also thank them for their courage in coming forward so that we can learn from our mistakes and become a better and stronger school. The school has now made reports to child protective services about the incidents involving these former employees. In addition, to the extent that we have determined whether any of these former employees are still working with children, the school has contacted those employer(s) about these findings.

Finally, based on the investigator’s findings, our school is offering financial support for therapy to those students who were harmed by these former employees. Those individuals who will be offered therapy will be contacted by T&M with instructions regarding the process.”

Additionally, the school said they applauded the courage of those who came forward during the investigation and again apologized for those suffering as a result of the misconduct.

“To any former student at our school who experienced employee sexual misconduct, we apologize for what occurred and for any hardship and suffering that you experienced because of this. Such adult misconduct is a fundamental breach of trust between a student and employee of our school and is in stark violation of our school’s mission and values,” Harsh wrote in a statement.

In response to Channel 2 Action News, GAC said they would not be providing further details besides what was in the letter from Harsh, or the accompanying statement in order to respect the privacy of the students who came forward.

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