A Georgia elementary school principal and PE teacher both lost their jobs after an internal investigation found that the pair had been involved in an affair that included sexual activity on school grounds. Banks County Superintendent Ann Hopkins hired a third-party investigator to look into claims that physical education teacher Dylan Charles was allegedly bugging Banks County Elementary School Principal Dana Simmons's office to obtain confidential board of education information.
During the investigation, according to Fox News, an alleged sexual affair was uncovered between Simmons and Charles. Multiple interviews with coworkers, witnesses, and even Charles' wife led investigators to discover scandalous details about the principal's behavior.
Simmons and Dylan were reportedly involved for years.
According to the report, "Dr. Simmons expressed to Dr. Hopkins that she was concerned Dylan Charles had bugged her office or had a source at the [Board of Education] BOE office providing him information regarding BOE activities," Fox News reported.
After his initial interviews, Charles approached school officials regarding his relationship with Simmons. He reportedly admitted to having an affair with Simmons and stated they had sexual relations both at school and off campus. According to the New York Post, the relationship had been going on for several years.
Simmons promptly denied the allegations.
According to Simmons, she initially admitted the pair only had an "inappropriate friendship" but denied any sexual activity. Charles provided evidence of the affair, including photographs of them kissing and one of a naked man and woman having sex in a car, the Post reported. Other photos included a woman performing oral sex on a man and a naked woman inside the school building near Simmons' office.
"Again, there is no context added to the pictures or the text messages, but the totality of the evidence tends to support Mr. Charles's claim of an inappropriate relationship between Dr. Simmons and Mr. Charles," the report stated.
Ultimately Simmons confessed to the affair and shared her own photos, one of a shirtless Charles wearing a cape. She claimed that Charles' wife, Kesley Charles, set up the affair between the two, the Post reported.
According to the Post, "An attendance clerk and confidant of Simmons told investigators she once saw a text to Simmons from Kelsey Charles that point-blank asked, "Would you like to [expletive] my husband?"
Simmons allegedly involved others in her sexual escapades as well.
A witness told investigators that at one point, Simmons invited her to be part of a swingers group, Fox News reported. The woman denied the request and avoided Simmons until she decided to quit the job because Simmons was "unprofessional."
Charles’ wife, who allegedly worked at the school as a teacher, told investigators that Simmons convinced her to allow Simmons to have sexual relations with her husband with the promise of career advancement.
The wife claimed Simmons manipulated her and her husband to keep the relationship a secret. She also claimed to have watched Simmons and Charles have sex and recorded them.
Simmons appeared to be a well-respected member of the school district and the community.
Several Facebook pages show Simmons in a positive light. She and Charles are pictured in a now-deleted post on the Kona Ice of Greater Commerce page accepting a donation check for Banks County Elementary School.
The Banks County Rotary Club shared a photo of Simmons receiving donated books from the organization. She was also featured on the Banks County School's Facebook page in October 2022 for her outstanding work as a school principal.
Simmons is no longer with the school district.
The Banks County School District announced on its Facebook page on January 27, that Simmons resigned from her position. She was replaced by the school's assistant principal, Dr. Leigh Ann Perry. According to the Macon Telegraph, Charles is also no longer employed by the district.
Fox 5 Atlanta reached out to Hopkins, who declined an interview but released the following statement:
"Any issues concerning unethical conduct are thoroughly investigated, addressed accordingly, and reported to the Professional Standards Commission as necessary. Upon receiving allegations involving the matter at hand, the District immediately hired independent investigators to conduct an investigation and provide a report of findings. The investigative report in question was reviewed by law enforcement for evidence of criminal activity and none was found. The educators involved are no longer teaching Banks County students. The safety and well-being of our students are always our first priority. The investigation into this event did not yield any indication that student safety or security was compromised."
