About The times. (Gainesville, Ga.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (March 10, 2024)
Starvation is slowly killing J‘.’ r ’ . ~ children in Gaza, insidma Sunday, March 10,20241 GAINESVILLE, GEORGIA I gainesvilletimes.com Hall teen charged in crash that closed Ga. 400. inside, 3a Honestly Local Child molestation case dismissed BY NICK WATSON nwatson@gainesvilletimes.com Hall County prosecutors dis missed a child molestation case against a Flowery Branch man Wednesday, March 6. Keldon Charles Ford, 19, was indicted on a charge of child moles tation, and his case was slated to go to trial Monday, March 11. The girl was 5 years old when she reported that she was touched inappropriately. The indictment alleged this happened between Jan. 22-27 last year. But Assistant District Attorney Harold Buck ler said he met with the girl in preparation for trial, where she “changed her nar rative of events in a number of ways,” he wrote in a dismissal notice. Buckler “is not prepared to say that this was a false outcry of sexual abuse,” according to his dis missal notice. “However, given the lack of details that the victim is able to recall about the abuse as well as the allegations surrounding it that she ... made which do appear to be false, the State has serious con cerns about further prosecution,” the prosecutor wrote. “Although the State believes that there was more than enough evidence to arrest and indict the defendant, there does not appear to be enough to prove the case beyond a reason able doubt.” In court. Buckler made it explicit that he did not believe the girl did anything wrong. The prosecutor said the family was not happy with the dismissal, but Buckler believed they under stood why the decision was made. Superior Court Judge Lindsay Burton signed off on the dismissal Wednesday. Following the dismissal, defense attorney Kyle Denslow said he would like to submit an order to seal the arrest record. “This is a very serious charge that has impacted him quite sub stantially in the realm of employ ment, and that I think would be helpful in making sure that he doesn't have any lingering con sequences from this accusation,” Denslow said. Denslow said he felt there were “multiple avenues to a reasonable doubt in this case.” The dismissal does not make the child a liar, the defense attorney said, adding later that he was not trying to impugn her nor the prosecution. “It makes her a child who may have been mistaken, and there may have been some even innocent con tamination of her testimony early on in the investigation,” Denslow said. Denslow declined to comment to The Times following the hearing. Ford ‘We don’t lower our standards’ Photog Name The Times Christopher Young appears for trial in Hall County Superior Court Tuesday, Feb. 27, for aggravated child molestation charges. Young was hired to be a substi tute teacher after only four hours of training. Photog Name The Times Copies of former Hall County Schools substitute teacher Christopher Young’s application, substitute teacher orientation certificate and high school diplo ma. The 24-year-old was convicted of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old student and sentenced to 30 years in prison. Recent trial brings light to hiring of substitutes across the state BY BEN ANDERSON banderson@gainesvilletimes.com During the trial of 24-year-old Christopher Brennan Young, who was convicted last week of sexu ally assaulting a 15-year-old student, evidence emerged that Young had a high school education and had completed just four hours of training before being hired as a substitute teacher for Hall County Schools. Although Young may seem to have been under qualified, he had passed a background check and met the minimum requirements set by state law, according to interviews with district officials and documents provided by the school sys tem, which included a copy of Young's application, his substitute teacher orienta tion certificate and his high school diploma. But The Times wanted to find out more about how substitute teachers are hired, so it reached out to four pub lic school districts — Hall County, Gainesville, For syth and Gwinnett — in an effort to compare their sub stitute teacher requirements. Of the four districts, the only one that has sought to go beyond the state's minimum requirements for hiring substitute teachers is Gwinnett County Pub lic Schools. Gwinnett has relaxed its requirements in recent years, but the district's head of human resources said they may soon return to the more stringent standards that were in place before the COVID- 19 pandemic. “Pre-COVID ... we required (an) associate degree or 60 (credit) hours or more for a teacher sub stitute position, but during COVID those minimum hiring requirements were relaxed,” said J.W. Mozley, director of human resources for Gwinnett County Public Schools. “Since we're not in a pandemic state anymore, we've been discussing going back to the pre-pandemic requirements.” The substitute teacher requirements for Hall County Schools, Gainesville City Schools and Forsyth County Schools are nearly identical, according to infor mation provided by offi cials for each district. Each school system conducts background checks and fol lows state law by requiring a minimum of four hours of training and a high school diploma or equivalent. None of the districts, including Gwinnett, requires that can didates be interviewed. The Times asked Hall County Schools whether it will set greater requirements for substitute teachers in the wake of Young's conviction. “We’re always looking for ways to improve,” said Brad Brown, Hall County Schools' assistant superin tendent of human resources. “I'm not sure of anything that we could have done differently because when someone comes through the process, completes the training successfully, gives us no red flags, passes the GBI (Georgia Bureau of Investigation), which is the fingerprinting test, then we would have no reason to sus pect anything. And unfortu nately, these things happen and it breaks my heart.” When asked if the district would begin requiring an interview process, Brown said they would consider it, but added, “when you talk to somebody, sometimes they're a used car salesman. They tell you what you want to hear.” See Substitute 13A Shelly Echols will not seek new term in state Senate BY BEN ANDERSON banderson@gainesvilletimes.com State Sen. Shelly Echols, R-Alto, announced in a news release Fri day, March 8, that she will not seek reelection to the District 49 seat and that her husband, Drew, co-owner of Jaemor Farms, will run for the seat instead. Echols said she will not seek a second term so she can spend more time at home with her son Cohen, who has Down Syndrome. “Serving the constituents of State Senate District 49 has been a tremendous experience and a true honor. Drew and I are blessed to have two children, Chloe and Cohen,” Shelly said. “While Chloe is off at college, Cohen is a high schooler with Down Syndrome and still at home; and although I feel called to public ser vice, I have realized over the past two years that my highest calling is being a mother to two of the most important people in my life. For the past sixteen years my duty as a mom has been to provide the structure Cohen needs to live a successful and productive life. I am looking forward to having more time available to spend with my children and family once I fulfill my term in the Senate. Drew has done a phenomenal job maintaining the structure in our home in my absence; but it is time for me to let someone else take the reins in Senate District 49 so that I can be home and focus on being a mom.” Drew Echols, co-owner of Jaemor Farms in Alto, which primarily grows and sells peaches, has quali fied and is running as a Republican, according to the Secretary of State website. He will face off against fellow Republican Josh Clark. “Public service has been a priority for my family starting with my grandfather, Jimmy Echols, and most recently my wife,” Drew said in a separate news release. “Shelly's service as a county commissioner and state senator is something that we are proud of. I hope to continue what she has started as she has made the decision to step away and focus on our son. Cohen needs his mom, and as hard as I have tried, those are shoes that I can't fill.” “We are a family that works together and serves together,” he said. “I hope to win the support of this community and have the honor of continuing an outstanding legacy of service to the constituents of Hall County.” See Echols 13A More than 40 candidates qualify for races before May primary election From Staff Reports These candidates have quali fied for the May 21 primary race, according to the Secretary of State's Office. Gainesville City Council Ward 4 special election • Abigail Guzman • Devin Pandy County commission chair • David Gibbs, R • Richard Higgins, R (incumbent) • Craig Lutz, R County commission, District 4 • Jeff Stowe, R (incumbent) County commission, District 2 • Billy Powell, R (incumbent) Tax commissioner • Darla Eden, R (incumbent) State House, District 27 • Lee Hawkins, R (incumbent) State House, District 28 • Brent Cox, R (incumbent) • Michael D. Henson, D State House, District 29 • Matt Dubnik, R (incumbent) State House, District 30 • Derrick McCollum, R (incumbent) • Kim Fiona, D State House, District 31 • Emory Dunahoo, (incumbent) State House, District 100 • David Clark, R • Michael Day, R • Jennifer Ambler, D State House, District 103 • Soo Hong, R (incumbent) State Senate, District 49 • Drew Echols, R • Josh Clark, R State Senate, District 50 • Bo Hatchett, R (incumbent) U.S. House, 7th District • Rich McCormick, R R (incumbent) • Bob Christian, D U.S. House, 9th District • Andrew Clyde, R (incumbent) • Tambrei Cash, D County Coroner • Marion Merck, R (incumbent) Clerk of Superior Court • Chris Slate, R • Mark Pettitt, R Probate Court Judge • Patty Walters Laine, R (incumbent) Sheriff • Gerald Couch, R (incumbent) • Jim Hammock, R • Jerry Ramos, D Superior Court Judge • Clint Bearden (incumbent) Superior Court Judge • John Breakfield • Michelle Hall Superior Court Judge • Bonnie Oliver (incumbent) See Candidates 13A
