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Arraignments Set For Jay Teachers Accused Relationships With Students
August 13, 2009
A first court appearance has been scheduled for the two Jay High School teachers accused of having inappropriate relationships with underage students.
Ashley Elenea Burkett, 31, and April Burford Watson, 33, both of Jay, are scheduled to be arraigned August 26 before Santa Rosa County Judge Gary L. Bergosh.
Both women were released on $50,000 bond each after being booked into the Santa Rosa County Jail August 6 on three counts each of unlawful sexual activity with a minor, a second degree felony. Both were released on GPS monitors.
“The investigation was initiated on July 28, 2009 after an anonymous letter was sent to the Santa Rosa County School District alleging sexual relationships between two Jay High School teachers and male juveniles,” Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office Spokesman Sgt. Scott Haines said. The letter was turned over the Santa Rosa Sheriff’s Office for investigation.
“Interviews were conducted with the alleged victims in the case. Two victims alleged that they were involved in sexual activity with Watson at her residence and the residence of Burkett between the months of July and October 2007. One other victim alleged that he was involved in sexual activity with Burkett at her residence and the residence of Watson between the months of July and October 2007,” Haines said. “Both of the suspects were questioned by investigators and they both admitted to the unlawful sexual activity.”
For more about the case, click here for an August 6 NorthEscambia.com story.
Comments
17 Responses to “Arraignments Set For Jay Teachers Accused Relationships With Students”
I agree with the other volley parent. Now that we have a good coach, you are chosen for your abilities instead of your last name or who your parents are. Our girls finally have a chance to prove their athletic skills and have a REAL practice. Thank you Coach Campbell!
I hope none of you have students at NHS you think Jay is so bad if everyone knew all rumors true or not at every school even homeschool you would know prayer is all you have. pass your judgements you too will be judged one day by our LORD JESUS CHRIST himself for he is the only JUDGE that matters . Ask for forgivness . Lets not forget he died for our sins. we are all born sinners.
One good thing came out of this. My daughter has I volleyball coach who will be coaching instead of texting during practice. Thanks for coming back to Jay Coach Campbell.
JESUS LOVES ALL
I have been reading comments ever since this story broke, over 200 comments ago. Im just wondering why are they now all about bank robbing? Doesn’t it seem no one really cares anymore about “boys” having sexual relations with their teachers.
ok, just b/c I really can’t bear to see this floundering bank robbery “discussion” continue, I signed up to clear a few things up.
I was actually in the same grade as the “robbers” and we were in 6th grade at the time. The entire grade did not go on this trip, just one class. The trip was to the bank in Jay and I believe the amount stolen was $10k. If I remember correctly, 1 boy only had $100 and the other had the rest. The kids were allowed to go into the vault during the “tour” and at some point either one or both of the kids shoved the cash down their pants w/o anyone noticing. I say one or both b/c I want to say only 1 kid actually shoved the money down his pants and then gave $100 to the other, but it could have happened the other way around. Apparently, some genius thought it was a good idea to let 6th graders enter the bank vault and handle money w/o either doing a count before they left, a search of all kids or both. The reason they were caught had nothing to do with a kid paying for his lunch with a c note. The bank called the school soon after the kids got back to tell them that count of the money the kids were shown came up $10K short. It only took a few minutes after that to narrow down the suspects and then discover the cash. It was either on their body or in their locker. I will never forget Letterman told a joke about it in his monologue that night.
As for where the kids were from – I’m assuming the comments about the kids not being from Jay are based on the fact that both kids had transferred to Jay that same year and had not gone there before. Again, I could be wrong on this, but if I remember correctly both transferred from Central and may have still lived in Central school district, but transferred due to issues they had at Central. No matter the exact circumstances that led to them coming to Jay, it seems pretty ridiculous to me to feel the need to point out the kids weren’t from Jay. Reality check – even if they didn’t live w/in the Jay school district boundaries or grow up w/in them, they lived just a very short drive from there. Do you really think that there is some invisible morals sheild that exists between Brownsdale and Allentown??? Yes, Jay is very lucky in many respects as far as being insulated from a some of the things that go on at other schools, but it is not like they don’t still have many of same issues to deal with. When you make comments acting like these problems don’t exist, you just make yourself look like you don’t have a clue and loose all of your credibility as far as this stuff is concerned.
He made it back to school with the money before the bank figured it out and call the school. They kept the students a little while at school to figure who did it.
“HE WAS TWO GRADES BELOW ME”
While y’all debate the exact location of Jay and inhabitants, I have to wonder what grade he was in when he pulled off this daring robbery?
not that I think these two ladies had anything to do with the bank robbery
JUST TO CLEAR UP THE BANK ROBBERY, THE BOY WAS FROM JAY THAT STOLE THE MONEY FROM THE BANK AND HOW HE GOT CAUGHT IS HE PAID FOR HIS LUNCH WITH A HUNDRED, AT JAY SCHOOL. HE WAS TWO GRADES BELOW ME
“Bank Robbery! The one who took the money and was passing it out WAS NOT FROM JAY. Those he gave it to might have been from Jay, but as I recall the money was found.”
See what I mean? The culprit was from some seven miles north of Jay, thus not a Jaylander. It was just a kid. somebody wasn’t paying close enough attention and he snatched some money and then passed it out like it was play money. Just like the seventeen year old boys in the above story, he was not responsible for his own actions.
“I agree with lil huey. People in jay grow peanuts and dope, they are not molesters.”
I like peanuts, tend to eat too many of them. Only drugs I use are the allopurinol to treat the gout triggered by the peanuts.
As to the claim that everyone once knew everyone else’s business, It might seem that way but is doubtful. People I grew up with ages ago tell me I just didn’t know how bad it was for them for one reason or another. But again, that’s Bluff Springs, maybe people are nosier, er, I mean more concerned in Jay.
Interesting to claim that everybody knew what was going on yet not know who the alleged third party was.
Regarding the thought “their family has plenty of money and will probably buy their way out of what they have gotten their selves into”:
Even if you had plenty of money, wouldn’t you rather spend it on other things–like boiled peanuts, for example, and allopurinol–than on lawyers? (and it’s themselves, but nobody cares about grammar, too busy on more important matters)
I have long heard the claim you can have all the justice you can afford. Consider poor OJ Simpson. He had enough money to beat a murder rap but then he didn’t have any money (by his standards, anyway, still rich by mine) and couldn’t even beat a simple kidnapping charge the next time the Man went out to oppress him.
“Things have changed a lot in Jay over the years”
Yet the people I have met were all pretty much decent and friendly and I could assume the ones who weren’t were from somewhere else. Right?
Bank Robbery! The one who took the money and was passing it out WAS NOT FROM JAY. Those he gave it to might have been from Jay, but as I recall the money was found.
All the faculty, staff, principal, and assistant principal at JHS may not have known about this. You think JHS is a small school and everybody hears everything, well they don’t.
You also may think the principal, faculty, and staff at JES know everything that goes on there NOT TRUE. JES is very spread out and all grades have planning periods, and lunch at different times.
Things have changed a lot in Jay over the years and just because everybody once knew everybody’s business that is not the case now! The population has changed and a lot of people have moved into Jay – some are good, some are bad just like everywhere else. At one time in the towns of North Escambia everyone knew everyone else’s business, but that’s also changed.
Unless you know all the facts don’t make rash comments. The courts will determine what happens in this case and I don’t believe money will have anything to do with it.
Well, Our outlook on the teachers of Jay High School sleeping with students is really redlicious!! Yes, we know that they are well known and their family has plenty of money and will probably buy their way out of what they have gotten their selves into. There should be no respector of persons they should be treated like anyone else should be treated in this situation. We also heard there is a third party that has not surfaced yet! All of the JHS school board, principal, and faculity knew about this situation but did nothing about it until they thought they had to. They all should be dismissed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We have kids that have graduated from JHS and we have some that are starting school there this year. It’s hard to know what teachers you can trust with your kids. These teachers have kids so they should know how any parent would feel like in this situation, you would think??!!
I agree with lil huey. People in jay grow peanuts and dope, they are not molesters.
John — They were charged with *three* counts. The sheriff’s department was not specific on a number in their statement, but the school board said “two” plus “one other”, which equals three. More info will come out when they get to court.
So, is there really three victims involved here? In one sentence it say “one other victim…” and another it says “Two victims alleged…” Are there just two victims here or am I mistaken, William can you shed some light?
“DHG…its really sweet of you to say you think they are innocent until proven guilty”
I never said anything about “until proven guilty.”
I just can’t believe ti all, not out of Jay people.
Bluff Springs people because we’re bad, possibly, but not Jay people.
Remember the Great Jay Elementary School field trip Bank Robbery?
The kids picked up a few thousand dollars as souvenirs and were passing them out to friends.
The principal was reported to have said, “These people were not from Jay.”
See? He couldn’t believe it either, not out of Jay people. It’s good to think well of your own. people.
Attention: DHG they both admitted to unlawful sexual activity, but its really sweet of you to say you think they are innocent until proven guilty….. and this is in response to the same article last week.