A band director for middle school and high school students in Arkansas has been arrested after he allegedly sexually assaulted a teen and later begged her mother not to go to police after she learned about the alleged incident.
The Fort Smith Police Department said police began an investigation into the matter after they received a tip on March 9 that James Palmer allegedly had inappropriate contact with a student on February 28, according to 5NEWS.
Palmer, 40, was fired by the Fort Smith School District on Wednesday, March 11, and booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on Thursday, March 12, for second-degree sexual assault, according to police.
He was initially held on a $150,000 bond but released just hours after his arrest. Palmer is next scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday, March 18.
It is not currently clear if Palmer has entered a plea or retained legal counsel following his arrest. The Fort Smith Police Department did not immediately respond to Us Weekly’s request for comment about the case.
However, court documents obtained on Friday, March 13, said that the alleged victim’s mother confronted Palmer a few days before the tip was reported to authorities, per 5NEWS. Police said that he reportedly “begged her not to report the incident” and said he would resign and move away.
The district told the outlet that the school board met for a special meeting the day before Palmer’s arrest and unanimously voted to terminate his contract with the district.
Palmer had previously worked as the band director at Chaffin Middle School and Southside High School. The district added that the contract termination went into effect immediately and Palmer was let go from the role.
Court records also stated that Palmer worked as a mandated reporter, per the outlet.
While a spokesperson for the district said they couldn’t comment on personnel matters, they did issue a statement about the incident.
“There is nothing more important than the safety of all students, and we take every allegation of inappropriate behavior seriously,” the spokesperson told 5NEWS. “We thoroughly investigate all allegations and determine next steps based on the results of the investigation.”
Not only was Palmer arrested and let go from his job, but his wife, Jessica Palmer, was also fired by the Fort Smith School Board after a 7-0 vote at a special meeting held on March 13.
The district said that she worked as a teacher at Sunnymede Elementary prior to her firing.
Fort Smith Public Schools confirmed that Jessica was let go from the school, telling 5NEWS, “There is nothing more important than the safety of all students, and we take every allegation of inappropriate behavior seriously. We thoroughly investigate all allegations and determine next steps based on the results of the investigation.”
“While we cannot comment on personnel matters, we can confirm that the Fort Smith Board of Education met this evening during a special meeting and voted unanimously to terminate its contract with Jessica Palmer, who served as a teacher at Sunnymede Elementary, effective immediately,” the statement continued.
