By MONA NAIR
6 News Reporter
HARRIMAN (WATE) - A former Harriman High School basketball coach and social studies teacher is under investigation. According Roane County Schools, he resigned on Friday.
Roane County detectives want to know if Jeff King was involved with a student or students.
No formal charges have been filed against King.
Roane County Director of Schools Gary Aytes told 6 News there were no notes of problems reported in King's personnel file.
Some people have said the accusations against him are false.
The investigation began after Sweetwater police began investigating a break-in at King's home.
Courtney Marie Thomas, 18, was arrested for the crime. She is a former Harriman High School student who played basketball.
"The girl in question was caught inside the basketball coach's house. Upon talking to her she said she'd been there before, which is how she knew where he lived," said Roane County Sheriff Jack Stockton.
Stockton said the probe into the break-in revealed a lot more than they expected.
"The more detectives questioned her, the more information she gave them about the gentleman. It led us to believe there was some kind of relationship. She knew too much personal information about him," Stockton explained.
Investigators are now trying to figure out if the two were indeed involved and if there are other students with similar allegations.
Aytes said school officials are waiting for the final investigation report from the Roane County Sheriff's Department, but as far as he knows, there have been no other students to come forward about problems or accusations against King.
"I don't think he's the type of person to go after a student. I mean he has a wife and a little boy," said Cecioia Andujar, a 2010 graduate of Harriman High School.
Andujar was taught by King for three years. She says she believes the accusations are false.
"I don't believe he would risk losing his family and what he accomplished for it to all go down the drain," Andujar added.
While King has not been charged with any crime, investigators think the case requires a closer look.
"She did have exclusive information that no one would know unless they knew him personally," Sheriff Stockton said.
Courtney Thomas said she did not want to talk about the case.
Jeff King
