A Georgia high school teacher in Cobb County was arrested on Wednesday and charged with sexual assault by a teacher and solicitation of sodomy over an alleged inappropriate relationship with a student.
Harrison High School social studies teacher Eric Taylor Butler was arrested for an alleged inappropriate sexual relationship with a student that began in June. The alleged abuse reportedly and continued until Monday, according to Atlanta First News, which reported the 28-year-old teacher allegedly carried on a relationship with a 16-year-old student.
The school district identified the teacher as both a social studies teacher and an assistant basketball coach, according to the Marietta Daily Journal, which reported Butler (pictured above) allegedly began “developing the relationship” using texts and phone calls before explicitly requesting the minor perform sex acts in September.
In their warrant, police reportedly claim Butler had “one-on-one meetings” with the minor, including at the school, and Atlanta First News reports “asked her to perform oral sex on him on at least one occasion.”
To conceal the relationship after a coworker discovered it, the outlet reported Butler resorted to using a second, new cell phone to communicate with the minor, and instructed the student to refer to him as “daddy” and respond to “mommy” via text.
Police claim Butler knew the girl was a student where he taught school, according to an arrest warrant reviewed by WSB-TV, which noted that Butler posted bail and was released on the evening of Wednesday. Butler was issued a $50,000 bail.
A spokesman for the district provided a statement to the media acknowledging its “staff member was arrested for alleged inappropriate and criminal behavior,” and confirming the district is “cooperating and working closely with the authorities to conclude the investigation” and to “ensure our campuses are secure and a safe place for students to learn and grow.” Concerned parents are advised to visit a district website to learn more about the schools’ safety precautions.
The Cobb County School District previously received national press in August after the parental advocacy group, Libs of TikTok, confirmed the district removed two “pornographic themed books” after an inquiry.
In a post on the group’s Substack, the district is revealed to have offered “Flamer” and “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl” in multiple school libraries. Both books contain graphic depictions of sex, with “Flamer” containing “graphic depictions of sex” and discussions about “watching porn and masturbation,” according to Libs of TikTok.
At the time, the district said it was not “aware of the sexually-explicit content in these books” before the inquiry from Libs of TikTok, said it removed the books and promised it was “unapologetically holding our staff accountable” for the prior availability.
The local school board also fired a teacher from the school district in August after it was revealed the teacher read a book about gender identity to fifth-grade students.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Georgia Star News and a reporter for the Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Eric Taylor Butler” by Cobb County Sheriff’s Office.
