BA Teacher Arrested on Molestation Complaint

The arrest of a middle school teacher shocked students and parents in Broken Arrow. By the time the final school bell rang Monday, students had heard all kinds of rumors about why police officers had

Tuesday, November 16th 1999, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

The arrest of a middle school teacher shocked students and parents in Broken Arrow. By the time the final school bell rang Monday, students had heard all kinds of rumors about why police officers had escorted English teacher Cynthia Alexander out of the school earlier in the day.

They soon learned detectives took Alexander to the police station to interview her about a molestation complaint. This fact shocked students who affectionately call the teacher, "Miss A." â€œI had her in class and she was really nice,â€ said a B-A female student. â€œI just can't believe it." The girls also said similarly nice things about the 13-year-old victim.

Police say the young girl and her family came forward with the complaint last Friday. The complaint led them to interview the teacher. Based on what police learned in that interview, officers say they arrested the 33-year-old teacher. "We know this is very traumatic for child victims, especially when it's a teacher or someone they trust,â€ said Broken Arrow police lieutenant Dave Adair.

Parents were hit hard by the news when they arrived to pick up their kids from school. One parent said, "Itâ€™s hard to believe. But I guess it's bound to hit home more. This is just the world we live in today."

Police say Alexander has taught school for 12 years. She currently teaches English and is the cheerleading sponsor for Childers Middle School. The B-A superintendent's office says that it will conduct an internal investigation and will suspend the teacher with pay pending the outcome of charges, as required by school policy.

No other students have come forward with complaints. The Broken Arrow police department plans to ask the district attorney to file four charges of lewd molestation against Alexander.