By Floyd Ingram
Chickasaw Journal
PITTSBORO – A Vardaman coach will be in court Wednesday morning for a probable cause hearing after allegations surfaced last week of inappropriate contact with a student.
Calhoun County School officials and the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Department have been tight-lipped about the incident and declined to answer questions about the situation when contacted last week.
“We are not releasing the names of anyone involved with this at this time,” said Calhoun County Sheriff Greg Pollan. “The people involved will be named in court tomorrow.”
Pollan said under Mississippi law, school teachers and law enforcement officers working in the scope of their job can’t have charges filed against them until a probable cause hearing has been held.
The intent of the law is to keep parents from filing assault charges against a teacher should their child be spanked and to prevent vindictive charges being filed against law enforcement officers making an arrest.
The probable cause hearing is slated for 10 a.m. Wednesday in Pittsboro before Circuit Court Judge Kelly Luther.
Pollan said Tuesday morning that no one had been arrested or charged at that time.
“We began our investigation on Thursday,” said Pollan. “We will present our evidence and what we found in our investigation.”
Probable cause hearings usually seek to determine if a crime was committed and look at initial evidence. The hearing can also determine the exact charge, bail and in what jurisdiction the case will be heard.
Physical evidence, forensic evidence or testimony can be presented at a probable cause hearing.
Pollan said Wednesday’s hearing will be open to the public.
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