GA charter school administrator placed on leave following child molestation charge

An Atlanta charter school administrator was placed on leave this week after he was charged for allegedly having sex with a minor.

Ereco Lee Maddox, 46, was arrested last month and faces charges including child molestation, two counts of sodomy, and interference of child custody, according to NBC News.

Investigator Blake Livings told the outlet that Maddox allegedly met the minor on Grindr, a dating app.

Maddox reportedly served as the associate head of school at the Centennial Academy in Atlanta, which educates students from kindergarten through eighth grade.

On June 26 he was arrested by the Colquitt County Sheriff’s Office nearly 200 miles away from the school.

“Centennial Academy is aware of allegations against Associate Head of School Ereco Maddox related to actions taken toward a minor in South Georgia,” Head of School Tequila Lamar said in a statement obtained by NBC News. “The school is not aware of any misconduct occurring on campus or involving Centennial Academy Scholars.”

“Although Mr. Maddox has not been formally convicted of any crimes, the school’s human resources and legal teams are presently conducting a full investigation,” the statement continued. “As such, Mr. Maddox has been placed on administrative leave.”

Maddox is accused of sexually assaulting a minor after taking them to a hotel room in June. When the minor returned home around 2:15 a.m, they told their mother about the incident, which prompted her to call the police.

At the time, she reported seeing a dark SUV near her home, and an officer on patrol that morning had also seen the vehicle.

“The deputy asked the mother if it was a Cadillac Escalade, and the mom confirmed the vehicle she saw, dropping off her child, slowly riding past her house, was also a Cadillac Escalade. They were able to locate that vehicle at the hotel,” Livings said, adding that Maddox was arrested at the hotel.

On Thursday, a Grindr spokesperson informed NBC News in a statement that the platform prohibits minors from using its service.

“Grindr stands ready to support law enforcement’s investigation of the disturbing report from Colquitt County,” the statement said.

It also added that the platform uses safety features such as banning minors, moderating profile images, and working with law enforcement to find “illicit activities,” NBC News reported.

Maddox was reportedly released from Colquitt County Jail on June 28 after posting a bond of $16,000.