Rachelle Terry is a 43-year-old Georgia school administrator who is accused of having a sexual relationship with a student and of giving teens alcohol during a Halloween party. Terry was arrested in December 2022.
According to a press release issued by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Dr. Rachelle Louise Terry, age 43, of Chatsworth, Georgia, “has been arrested and charged with child molestation and statutory rape, related to an investigation of Terry, an administrator in the Murray County School System, having a sexual relationship with a student.”
On Twitter, Terry lamented about her uncool life, writing, “I used to be cool. Now I spend my weekends doing laundry, sleeping, and avoiding people. 🤷🏼♀️ #momlife”
Here’s what you need to know about Rachelle Louise Terry:
1. Rachelle Terry Was Previously Accused of Furnishing Alcohol to Minors During a Halloween Party
InstagramRachelle Terry
The press release says that Terry was booked into the Murray County jail after her arrest. Details about her first court appearance and potential bail were not immediately available. An investigation into underage drinking at a Halloween party led law enforcement to discover the alleged sexual relationship, the news release said. Terry dressed in overalls with other educators on Halloween 2022 in an Instagram photo.
“Terry was charged with 10 counts of furnishing alcohol to minors during a Halloween party earlier this year,” the release said. “That Murray County District Attorney’s Office investigation revealed the sexual relationship and they requested the GBI to investigate on November 23, 2022. Terry was booked into the Murray County Jail.”
The release concluded:
This investigation is active and ongoing. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the GBI Calhoun Field Office at 706-624-1424. Anonymous tips can also be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online, or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app.
According to The Dalton Daily Citizen, the investigation into Terry began November 9 when Sheriff Jimmy Davenport received a tip about a Halloween Party involving an administrator and students.
2. Terry Was Director of Federal Programs for the Local School District, Earning $110,000 a Year
InstagramRachelle Louise Terry
According to the Dalton Daily Citizen, Terry was the Murray County School District’s “director of federal programs.”
“(Terry) was placed on administrative leave with pay, upon return from the Thanksgiving break, and prior to her Wednesday night arrest,” said Derichia Lynch, communications coordinator for Murray County Schools, to the Dalton Daily Citizen. “Because she is under contract, her leave must be with pay until a hearing can be conducted.”
The newspaper reported that she earned $110,000 a year and had been with the school system for about 22 years.
“This is an ongoing investigation and personnel matter and as such we cannot offer further comment at this time,” the communication coordinator told the local newspaper.
Terry was director of Enrollment, Data Collections, and Federal Programs for the Murray County school system in Georgia, according to her LinkedIn page.
According to that page, she also served as coordinator of federal programs, instructional technology specialist, curriculum and instruction facilitator, and a third-grade teacher.
3. Terry, Who Is Married, Called Her Husband Her ‘Forever’
InstagramRachelle Terry with her husband David
The sheriff told the Dalton Daily Citizen that a parent first complained about the Halloween party.
“I believe there had been a parental complaint,” Davenport told the Dalton Daily Citizen.
Daily Mail reported that Terry is married. Her Instagram page contains photos of her husband and three sons.
In 2022, Terry shared a photo of her husband, David, on Instagram, writing, “Happy birthday to this guy! Man you are getting old!! #happybirthday #41 #myforever.” She also wrote about her kids, their school activities, and working out.
Her LinkedIn page says she has a doctorate in education from Argosy University in Sarasota and a master’s degree from Lincoln Memorial University. She has a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and teaching from the University of West Georgia.
4. Terry Wrote on Social Media, ‘I Used to Be Cool’
InstagramRachelle Terry
Rachelle Terry was active on social media. “Ready to use strategies from @ConsciousTching to help me get through some tough days in education!” she wrote on Twitter in February 2022.
She shared a photo of a youth hunt, writing, “Let’s get some meat on the table. #youthhunt.”
She lamented, “I used to be cool. Now I spend my weekends doing laundry, sleeping, and avoiding people. 🤷🏼♀️ #momlife.”
She also liked Garth Brooks songs, wrote about attending training conferences, and gave shout outs to the football team.
5. Multiple Educational Workers in the United States Have Ended Up in Trouble With the Law, Facing Sex Crime Charges
Female teachers accused of sex crimes in the U.S.
Female teachers or educational professionals ending up in mugshots has become a too common phenomenon over the past few years. Kayla Sprinkles was one of the latest. Haley Reed, a high school choir director, was accused in the rape of a student. Miranda Pauley, a former biology teacher, was accused of taking indecent liberties with a minor.
Cassandra White, an English teacher in Oklahoma, was even accused of taking out a marriage license with a teenage boy. Hunter Day, an Oklahoma teacher, was accused of sending nude photos to a student. Among other recent cases: Loryn Barclay, a former substitute teacher at a Missouri High School, was accused of having sexual contact multiple times with a 17-year-old boy. Shawnetta Reece, a gym teacher from Georgia, was accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a 15-year-old boy.
Tracy Miller, a West Virginia teacher, was accused of sending nude photos to students. Nataly Lopez, a 27-year-old former substitute teacher at a middle school in New Jersey, was accused of having sexual contact with a student. Lindsey Jarvis, a 27-year-old middle school teacher’s aide, was accused of the rape and sodomy of a student who was under the age of 16. Jarvis was arrested in Fayette County, Kentucky, on June 16. Then there’s Laura Ramos. She is a 31-year-old Connecticut high school teacher who is accused of having sex with a special education student. And there’s Tiffany Geliga.
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