Principal Explains School's Actions in Sex Case

Following the arrest Wednesday of a math teacher on , Tucker Middle School principal Dr. Kathy Cunningham wrote a letter to parents in which she aimed to reassure them of the school's intentions.

Almarcus Dewayne Thomas, 42, of Lithonia, appeared in court Thursday on seven counts of sexual misconduct with a fifteen-year-old girl, a student at the school. One of the charges - unlawful surveillance - involved the alleged videotaping of another girl. Police were tipped off on Dec. 22 by a parent and had been building a case against Thomas since then.

Tucker Patch obtained a copy of the letter sent to parents. Below is a verbatim transcript:

Dear Parents/Guardians:

As part of our commitment to transparency, we regretfully inform you that one of our former teachers has been arrested on allegations of inappropriate conduct with a student. This incident allegedly occurred during the previous school year (2010-2011).

We first became aware of the allegations in January 2012. At that time, the teacher was immediately removed and has not been in the classroom since.

Today we communicated this disheartening information to our teachers to make them aware of the situation and to ensure they remain vigilant throughout the year in enforcing all safety and emergency protocols.

Your children's safety is our greatest concern. It always has been and will continue to be so. We want you to know that this is an isolated incident and that safety continues to be paramount at . 

This is an opportunity for us to come together as the proud community we are and to provide support for each other. With integrity, we will move through this with strength and grace.