The teacher faces nine charges, most involving enticing a child.
DOTHAN , Ala. - A prosecutor claims that fired Dothan elementary teacher Johnny Mark Dunaway threatened the life of a student who police say he abused, with those threats extending to the student’s family.
During a bond hearing preceding Lewis’ order on Thursday, Houston County Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Stanley alleged that Dunaway said he would, “blow head off or blow off the heads of his family” if the child disclosed of the misconduct. Dothan Police Investigator Melissa Phillips testified that her concern about Dunaway’s danger was heightened when officers found a “plethora” of firearms in his home when they searched.
Phillips testified that she considers Dunaway a flight risk, a claim refuted by defense attorneys. Phillips described the investigation as expanding and told Houston County District Judge Benjamin Lewis other alleged victims have reported abuse and additional charges are likely alongside the nine he currently faces, including sex abuse of a child under 12 and enticing a child.
Dothan Police Chief William E. Benny said months passed between the first complaint to school officials about Dunaway’s behavior and when police were notified. Dunaway’s arrest and subsequent firing last week put Dothan City School’s hiring practices under scrutiny. Documents show he was disciplined in Florida in the 1990s for inappropriate activity involving students, though no charges were filed.
Phillips said she suspects that Dunaway, 55, also acted inappropriately when he later taught in Georgia but admitted she lacked documentation to substantiate her suspicionsIn a statement last week, Dothan City Schools said neither the school board nor Superintendent Garrick Askew was aware of the initial complaint, which came from an anonymous tip. The chances of Dunaway posting bond seem promising since the $1 million is stretched across nine charges.
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