Oak Ridge teacher accused of sex with student

Oak Ridge teacher accused of sex with student

December 7, 2006

OAK RIDGE (WATE/AP) -- Authorities in Oak Ridge have charged a middle school teacher with six counts of having sex with a former student.

Koons surrendered to police Wednesday and is free on $50,000 bond. He remains on unpaid leave from Jefferson Middle School, where he is a sixth-grade teacher.

Investigators say Koons is accused of making the student contact during June, July, August and September. 

Georgetta Marlow is a mom and has nieces who attend Jefferson Middle School. "It's bad enough to rape anyone, but a 15-year-old child, that's inexcusable."

The girl accusing Koons is now in high school. 6 News learned the girl attended Jefferson Middle two years ago and was in Koons' drama club.

Koons was not home Thursday but his neighbor Charles Lamb says, "This man has been a teacher for so many years that he should have known better."

Lamb says he's talked with Jefferson Middle School students who don't believe Koons is guilty. "They've been to his house. They said they never saw anything out of him. He never tried to touch them or anything."

Lamb has his own opinion about a grown man being alone with teenage girls, though. "I don't think he should have ever had any of them in his office or house without a lady there with him."

The school board has conducted an independent investigation. They will meet with their lawyer on Tuesday to decide whether to fire the teacher.

"It's never an easy type of thing to deal with but it's got to be dealt with firmly and for the sake of the children and we're going to do that," says Superintendent of Schools Tom Bailey.

"He needs to be gotten rid of, he needs to be fired right now. What are they waiting for?" Georgetta Marlow adds. 

Monty Koons has been in the school system for more than 20 years. 

6 News Reporter Erica Estep contributed to this report. Some portions of this report copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.