Bad Teachers: Missouri

0:19 Hey everyone, and welcome back to Exposed Scandalous Files of the Elite. I'm your host, Jim Chapman, and today I am bringing you another episode in the Bad Teachers state specific series. So far, I have brought you to Arkansas, Texas, Ohio, and today I'm bringing you to the state of Missouri and we're going to expose just a few of the bad teachers from that state caught in inappropriate relationships with students. And I'm going to start this one off in Joplin, Missouri, which, even if you have never been to Missouri, you have likely heard of Joplin. It was the site of a horrific tragedy on May twenty second of twenty eleven, when an e F five tornado hit the city, essentially destroying it some eight thousand buildings, with over four thousand of those being people's homes completely destroyed. One hundred and fifty eight people lost their lives in that disaster. So let's go to twenty seventeen, just six years after that disaster, and I'm going to tell you about a forty two year old former teacher by the name of Amanda Ruth Schweitzer who was arrested when a mother of three boys in Joplin reported that Amanda had sent nude photos to

1:49 her son on Instagram. This would open up an investigation that would uncover other illegal acts at the hands of this bad teacher. Get into it and Amanda Schweitzer. She started her teaching career in August of twenty ten in the Joplin School District as an eighth grade reading teacher. This was at North Middle School, and she continued in that role throughout the subsequent years, even through the devastation of the Joplin Tornado. So in October of twenty fifteen, she gets married and she continues teaching at North Middle School. Now, at this point, everything seemed fine. She's lifing right, she's getting married, she's got a job that is considered somewhat professional.

2:43 But in March of twenty seventeen, that would all change when a mom reports to school officials that Amanda was sending newt photos to multiple students at that school. This, of course would launch an investigator, and through that investigation of thirteen year old boy thirteen would come forward with some pretty damning evidence of not only this abuse, but also that he had sex at Amana's house on at least two occasions. So on April seventh of twenty seventeen, Schweitzer she gets arrested on a charge of first degree statutory rape of that thirteen year old student. Now, at this point in time, she is thirty seven years old, so the arrest weren't stemmed from the thirteen year old saying he had been driven to her house where clothing was removed and the two had sex. And at this time police were also still looking into those Instagram needs that reportedly allegedly she had sent to other multiple students, but that was not what she was being arrested for.

3:55 Here she gets arraigned on that charge, she pleads not guilty. Of course, you have nothing to lose in an arragnment by pleading not guilty. She pays her bond and she gets released, and it's nearly another year before anything else occurs in this case, when on January of twenty eighteen, a federal grand jury indicts her on separate charges involving those Instagram nudes. So now you got the federal the Feds investigating you again. She pleads not guilty, and throughout the next year there's a little to no movement on this case on the criminal side. Now on the civil side, several lawsuits surface. Now, one in particular is from safe Co Insurance of all People, and they enter into a lawsuit against Amanda and her husband. Now I'm assuming this is on behalf of the victim in this case. And one thing it does do is it provides at least a little bit of detail. I'm not going to review this entire lawsuit, but just one instance listed in the lawsuit and it reads and we're going to refer to the minor child as victim. Victim who through his mother, has a pending civil suit for damages in state court against his middle school teacher, Amanda Schweitzer and Amanda's husband, Jonah Schweitzer. Victim civil action stems from the allegation that

5:28 Amanda groomed and subsequently engaged in sexual intercourse with victim. Amanda has been charged with crimes for her lleged misconduct. Amanda and Jonah are insured under safe Co Homeowner's insurance policy. After Owen's and victim made a demand of Safeco for payment of the policy, SAFEC brought this declaratory judgment action naming defendants Amanda Jonah, and it named some other people in emotion for judgment basically says victim was a student at North Middle School during twenty sixteen seventeen school year. During that same year, Amanda was an adult female teacher employed by the Joplin School District at North Middle School, where she served as a teacher to the victim. In early twenty seventeen, Amanda began grooming victim via social media and text message in violation of policies on her About March twenty ninth, twenty seventeen, victim was late for the bus and subsequently missed school. Amanda message victim when she noticed he was not at school. Amanda subsequently drove to his home and picked him up without the consent of his mother. Could you imagine that if you're a mother right now? While at her home, Amanda engaged in sexual intercourse with a victim. As a result of the encounter, victim has a sustained emotional injuries and yo, this is a middle school student. In addition, victim was to finish

7:00 the semester off campus after the encounter with a man that came to light, he subsequently transferred schools. And that's pretty much what that lawsuit goes into now, as I said, her husband was named in that because it basically said, well, heck, I'll read it for you. It says that the petition alleges Jenna knew or should have known the proclivities of his wife to groom young male students and pray on them for sex. I don't know what that's all about. I read into it. I can't find anything where he was aware or appeared that somebody thought he was aware of all this stuff. So if you know something about that, let me know. But there you have it, that gives you a little more details, at least into that victim.

7:51 So it's not until June of twenty twenty when there is what I would consider some major movement in this case, when Amanda Schweitzer, who is at this time forty one years old, she takes a plea and pleads guilty to one count of inciting a minor for illegal sexual activity. Now note the timing here, June of twenty twenty. COVID was probably at its peak at this time, so it took a while, actually a year and a half before she's going to be sentenced. But she is indeed sentenced in November of twenty twenty one, and I'm happy for the first time in a long time since I've been covering these cases to say the sentence might actually fit.

8:36 She is sentenced to twenty years in prison with no parole in fifteen years probation upon a release. So it's a good start for Missouri. Now, did the THDS play a role in all of that, I'm sure they did. But hey, that is a sentence that fits the crime in my view. So let's see if it's going to continue here as we go to Mexico, Missouri. And yes, the name of the town is Mexico. And I'm going to tell you about another bad teacher by the name of Janay Nunnely. And I want to shout out listener Jessica for putting me on this particular teacher's trail. Now, Janey was twenty six years old and an elementary school teacher when she was arrested in February of twenty twenty five, just last year for having a merely year long sexual relationship with a student, and subsequent to that, it would also come out she was having sexual relationships with multiple students. Now, I do need to mention that although she was an elementary school teacher. The students she was having sex with were all high school students, So a little bit about Janay.

9:56 In September of twenty twenty, she starts working with the Mexico, Missouri Public school system. Initially, she wasn't teaching in a classroom. She was helping as an aide, and she was also working with the cheer squad at the mental and high school levels. In twenty twenty three, however, she does become a certified teacher and she starts teaching at Eugene Field Elementary School, and she starts coaching as the head coach of the elementary school's cheer team. Now, very limited information on this case came out, but I did manage to dig up some details. So I'm going to take you to March fifth of twenty twenty five, and an officer draws up an affidavit for rest alleging the following, and I'm going to read this one. It's very short, but it's the affidavit on this case, and it reads. On two twenty five of twenty twenty five, the Mexico Police Department was notified by a local school district in Mexico, Missouri, that one of the employees of the district, Jane Marie Nunneley, had been engaging in a sexual relationship with a currently enrolled student. Police were also notified that not Only had been engaged in a sexual relationship with a previous student when he was attending the school in the district. Police

11:27 were also notified that Nunnely was an employee of the district during both sexual engagements. Police made contact with victim number one, who was a current student of the school in the local school district. Victim number one stated he engaged in vaginal sexual intercourse two times around June of twenty twenty four with Nunnely. Victim number one stated at both times he met with non Only in Ladonia, Missouri, and she transported him to her residence in Mexico, Missouri. Victim number one stated not Only had vaginal intercourse in her bedroom in her bed. Victim number one stated that not Only added him on social media platform prior to the sexual contact. Around five of twenty four. They spoke then arranged a meeting to engage in sexual intercourse. Mexico police made contact with victim number two, who while attending a school in the local school district, had multiple sexual encounters with Nunnely starting between March of twenty twenty two and April of twenty twenty two. Victim number two stated not only engage in oral sex with him and vaginal sex between fifteen and twenty five times while attending the school in a local school district. Victim number two stated not only added him on social media around three of twenty twenty two March and April of twenty twenty two,

12:58 and they spoke for some time before engaging in a sexual relationship. Victim number two said he continued a sexual relationship with None only until early of twenty twenty four, so you're talking almost a two year time period. Victim number two graduated from the school in the local school district in twenty twenty two, so he graduates in twenty two, so he was a senior when all this was going down, and they actually continued for two years after that. So I'm not sure what the delay is here, but it's not until the twentieth of March of twenty twenty five that None only turns herself in. She's writer, Miranda writes, and under questioning from investigators, she states that she engaged in sex with victim number two, but she said he had already graduated from high school by that point. She also admitted to engaging in oral sex and vaginal intercourse with victim number two multiple times. She also admitted to exchanging phone numbers with victim number one in May of twenty twenty four, and then she began messaging him. She said he was her assistant in summer school duties in June of twenty twenty four, and she said that after summer school ended, she met him on two occasions and brought her back to brought him back to her house in Mexico, Missouri, and engaged in vaginal intercourse with victim

14:29 number one in her bed. So she admitted to that, and Victim number one at this time was still a student at the high school, unlike victim number two. So it's important to note that the school hadn't known about this since late February, and they'd already fired Janey even before this the rest affidavit was drawn up. So of course, after her admission of these acts, she's put into jail and she's arraigned, and she pleaded not guilty, and she's given bail which she makes. So from March to October, there's no movement in this case. Then in October of twenty twenty five, she sees the writing on the wall, she takes a plea and she pleads guilty to one count of sexual contact with a student. As part of the deal, they dropped the other count. And on January ninth of twenty twenty six, just last month, the prosecution files what's known as a sentencing memorandum with the court, which is really just a memo saying, hey, we would like this fill in the blank as her sentence. And as part of this, some new information comes out in this memo, and I'm going to refer to what's known as a sentencing recommendation report, and it says the state's recommendation for the maximum sentence four years in the Department of Correction, so they're seeking them. It goes on to say,

16:02 it is a profound betrayal of trust and authority to exploit a student. It's not just a crime. Such a sentence safeguards to the community while ensuring the defendant confronts the real harm caused by a power differential relationship. Miss Nunneley pleaded guilty to one count of sexual contact with a student, but she admitted to three inappropriate relationships with student. Two were sexual in nature and one involved using marijuana with the student. Miss Nunneley taught at the elementary school, but managed to acquire these connections with the high school students through working as a coach and as a supervising teacher for an A Plus program student. For both sexual relationships, Miss Nunneley identified herself as being the first to reach out to these students. She added one through Snapchat and provided the other with her phone number on a sticky note.

16:57 These are not students with which she normally would have a high level of contact, but she took steps to reach out to these boys and form relationships that were inappropriate for a teacher and student. The state is always concerned about recidivism. This case is particularly troubling as it appears many mandated reporters failed miserably in their duties to make prompt calls when they heard about rumors of sex abuse of these miners. It is also worth noting that two of the letters in support of Miss Nunley were written by Jeff Anderson and Linda Mallett, who were other professionals working in the same school district. What does this say about the culture in this school district? This lasadaisical attitude requires a strong response to address the danger in our community. The sentencing Assessment report displays Miss Nunneley's distinct lack of understanding that she did anything wrong. In the section regarding criminal attitudes and behavior patterns, it's noted that Miss Nunteley exhibit remorse for what she had done. Unfortunately, this is undercut by her own version of events, where she places blame on others in states she did not think this affected the victim at all. Miss Nunneley explained that she did not know her actions were illegal, did not know they were against school policy, come on, and does not view seventeen year olds as miners. Miss Nunneley doesn't feel remorse for her actions. She feels remorse for the fact that she got caught. And I'm not going

18:29 to read the rest of that. But how about that two letters of recommendation and support of this bad teacher by other teachers in the same school district. If they don't blow your mind, I don't know what else would. So on January twelfth of twenty twenty six, she sentenced, and as pride as I was for Missouri for that first teacher that we covered today, and the Senate says she got this one, I can't praise as much. Essentially, she gets five years probation, she must attend substance abuse counseling and that's for the marijuana that she smoked with the student. And she cannot consume alcohol. And get this, she's not even required to register as a sex offender.

19:17 That's unbelievable to me. Heck of a deal for having sex with seventeen year old high school kids some twenty times at a minimum, allegedly. So let's go to Jefferson City, Missouri, and I'm going to tell you about Jennifer Cecil, who at the time of her arrest was forty one years old. She was a volunteer teacher at Lighthouse Prep Academy, which is a private Christian school in Jefferson City, Missouri. And again, shout out to listener Jessica for putting me onto this bad teacher. Thank you, Jessica. So was alleged in January of twenty twenty three that Jennifer Cecil had sexual intercourse with the student two to three times per week at her home over a seven month period, So do the math here. Basically, that is a minimum of fifty six different sexual encounters with a sixteen year old in seven months. Again, this chick is forty one years old. Now, there's not much out there as it relates to Jennifer's background, so I won't go into great detail on that other than to say it was reported she was very active in her church for many years, which would make sense considering the fact she was volunteering at a Christian school in the area, and also she was married when all of this came out. During the sexual instances with this minor, Now,

20:48 how did all this come out? Well? As I told you, the alleged events took place two to three times a week on a weekly basis between December of twenty twenty two and July of twenty twenty three in Cecil's home. The victim told investigators that he and Cecil would use Instagram to communicate and send sexually explicit photise in doo. See a pattern with all these cases that I covered, always starts out on Instagram or Snapchat or something like that. Social media has made it easy for these predators, the victim said, that they would use the app's vanish mode, where messages disappear after you view them. So court documents say the victim's family they confronted Cecil about the relationship.

21:39 Apparently this victim fessed up to his family that he had screwed this teacher fifty six times, and so they go to her. They asked her about this, and she confesses to this family that the allegations were true. So they did the right thing. They called police, and in July I have twenty twenty three, she is arrested. So note this here is a situation where the abuse was still going on up to the point that she was arrested. It's the only reason she stopped. So she's charged with four counts of first degree sexual abuse, second degree statutory rape, second degree sodomy, and sexual contact with a student. She's arraigned, she gets bond, and she gets an ankle monitor penning her trial. So there are a ton of delays with this one. Almost two years before. Yep, she cops a plea, and this is in January of twenty twenty five, and she pleads guilty to just one count of sexual abuse.

22:53 And for all that she gets this a forty one year old. Mind you in a major position of authority, screwing a sixteen year old kid at least fifty six times over seven months. What do you think she got no fucking jail time? Zero none, sixteen years old, she gets ten years probation. If that don't make you say WTF, I don't know what does exactly? Why I do this for a living. Exposing these bad teachers fifty six times and you get no jail time unbelievable. I'd be all over that, judge. So let's go to our last one for today, and I'm gonna take you to Springfield, Missouri, witch Hey, home of bass per Shops for those of you out there that are bass Per shop fans, and I'm going to tell you about a bad teacher by the name of Carissa Jane Smith, who at the time of her rest was thirty one years.

23:57 Old and at that age stands accused of nineteen felonies, including two for child trafficking involving students. So, according to the documents, Carissa worked for Dixon Middle School in Missouri as a substitute teacher for grades six through eight. It is alleged that during the twenty twenty two twenty twenty three school year, she engaged in sexual acts with at least two students, with one of the victims being fourteen years old or younger. She would pay these students cash, oftentimes one hundred dollars or more via cash app, which is like a million dollars to a fourteen year old right to have sex with them. It is also alleged she would provide them with marijuana and alcohol in exchange for sex acts. This chick was paying these students to sleep with her. These encounters would take place in various locations, including her home when her husband was at work, as well as her car, the side of the road, and in isolated gravel roads. Now, in twenty twenty three, before all of this came to light, Carissa is transferred to the high school level to be a para professional. She continues to be married at this point, and her husband at one point must have become suspicious that something wasn't rung with Carissa. He confronts her about it,

25:31 and she tells her husband that a student was blackmailing her because she and the student smoked weed together and he videod. Her husband then allegedly confronts this student about that that's supposedly blackmailing her, threatens to beat him to death, the student with a baseball bat. So I think that's where everything's started coming out in this case. Then it gets even crazier. Her brother in law, her husband's brother. He somehow gets word that there's a video not of Carissa smoking weed with a stendant, but of Carissa having sex with a student. And he hears this is circulating among all these young people. He goes over to Carissa's house to ask her about this, and lo and behold, he finds his sister in law button naked, riding a fourteen year old student in the bed. So shortly after that, someone and it's not clear whom, but I would you know, I don't know if it's this guy I've not do or acknowledge, but it wouldn't surprise me if it was.

26:41 Somebody reports it to the school, The school calls police and they start investigating, and as I said, she gets arrested on nineteen felonies, and she is in some deep shit. So when she gets arrested, she gets a two hundred and fifty thousand dollars bond, and she does manage to bind out of jail and for the next year until mid twenty twenty five, everything is quiet. But here's how dumb this hick is. While she is out on bond on nineteen felonies, trying to come up with a deal with prosecutors, what do you think happens? In September of twenty twenty five, authorities actually find Carissa at her home with one of the young victims. You can't make that shit up. She is arrested again on a charge of tampering with a witness, which, based on that charge I would assume or it sounds like she brought the victim there to try to talk him into not testifying. But that dumb decision actually revokes her bond and it's back to jail pending trial for Carissa. So in November of twenty twenty five, just a few months later, she realizes I'm squared. They got me dead to rights. She cops a plea and she actually receives ten years in prison.

28:13 Now that does seem a little bit light to me. Remember the girl at the beginning of this case, the first teacher we covered, she got twenty years for much I don't know if i'd say much less infractions, but it wasn't as bad as what I just read you. And she got twenty years, but the Feds were involved. Feds were not involved here. But this chick had nineteen felon account and got ten years in prison. That's a pretty good deal for her. But there you have it. At least she didn't get probation, right like two of the cases that we covered today. So in Missouri's case, and I'm gonna start griting each state and I'm going to call this my bad Teacher's consequence scale, And in this case, I would grade them a C on my Bad Teachers Consequence Scale. Be curious to know what you would grade them. Thank you so much for listening. I'll be back next week with another episode of Bad Teachers. Now, we do drop other episodes on this feed. I just dropped one last week that is about the absolutely horrific abduction of Nancy Guthrie. That one has gotten a lot of play, so if you haven't had a chance, go listen to it. Things change daily. I'm probably going to do an update on that case coming up next week as well. But we drop all kinds of things on this feed. Bad Teachers will of course be an ongoing

29:44 series as we go through the fifty States. Thank you so much for listening. Check out the Patreon commercial free early releases all kinds of stuff, including files of everything we discuss on this show. That's Patreon dot com Lash, exposed podcast files, and until next time for exposed scandalous files of the elite. I'm your host, Jim Chapman. Much love, M.