Classmates acted as ‘lookouts’ during teacher’s sex acts with student, Missouri cops say
A teacher accused of performing sex acts with a student in a classroom while classmates acted as “lookouts” was sentenced to prison, Missouri officials said.
Hailey Clifton-Carmack, 26, was a math teacher at Laquey Public High School when she engaged in “sexual contact” with a 16-year-old student in November 2023 that continued for weeks, according to officials and court documents.
She pleaded guilty to sexual contact with a student and was sentenced to four years in prison on Oct. 11, according to court documents.
Clifton-Carmack’s attorney and Laquey High School did not immediately respond to McClatchy News’ request for comment on Oct. 16.
According to the probable cause statement filed on Jan. 4, a witness told police that the 16-year-old victim showed photos of his back with scratches and said they were caused by sex acts with the teacher.
When police met with the teacher at the school on Dec. 8, the day after allegations were made, she denied having any relationship with students outside the school, according to the probable cause.
Clifton-Carmack fled the state to Garden Ridge, Texas, on Dec. 23 and was arrested in January, according to the Garden Ridge Police Department.
At the time of her arrest, the school told KMIZ in a statement that, “The employee has not been in the district since Dec. 8, 2023, and we do not anticipate her return.”
A superseding indictment filed on March 15 accused the teacher of endangering the welfare of a child, statutory rape, sexual contact with a student, child molestation and furnishing pornographic materials to minors.
The teen’s father knew about his child’s relationship with the teacher, telling one witness that other students guarded the classroom where Clifton-Carmack assaulted the student, according to the probable cause statement.
The father was also arrested in January, McClatchy News reported. He pleaded not guilty to first-degree child endangerment.
McClatchy News is not identifying the man to protect the identity of the victim.
Laquey is an approximately 800-mile drive northeast from Garden Ridge.
This story was originally published October 16, 2024 at 5:00 PM with the headline "Classmates acted as ‘lookouts’ during teacher’s sex acts with student, Missouri cops say."
