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School official charged with sexual misconduct
Central Cabarrus High School
Central Cabarrus High assistant principal Aaronson Joel Franks was arrested Thursday on multiple charges of sexual misconduct with two female students.
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Published: February 25, 2010
CONCORD - Concord Police arrested a Central Cabarrus High School assistant principal Thursday and charged him with sexual misconduct with two female students.
Aaronson Joel Franks, 37, of 4005 Sawmill Trace Dr., ChaConcord Police arrested a Central Cabarrus High School assistant principal Thursday and charged him with sexual misconduct with two female students.
Aaronson Joel Franks, 37, was charged following allegations of sexual contact with two female students, including one under the age of 16, police said.
The alleged conduct occurred at the school between October and December 2009, with a 15-year-old female student; and with a former student toward the end of the 2008-09 academic year, said Concord Police Chief Merl Hamilton. The latter student went to the school and was over the age of 16 at the time of the alleged incident, but has since graduated.
Franks, of 4005 Sawmill Trace Drive, Charlotte, was charged with one count of statutory rape, two counts of statutory sexual offense, three counts of sexual activity with a student by an administrator, one count of taking indecent liberties with a student and four counts of indecent liberties with children.
His bond was set at $60,000 and is scheduled to appear before court today.
Calls to Franks' home seeking comment were not returned.
The alleged sexual conduct took place on school property in an area of the building that is removed, where no one had access, Hamilton said.
The police are continuing to investigate whether other students may have been involved. Hamilton said he was not aware of any previous criminal record for Franks.
Cabarrus County Schools suspended Franks with pay on Friday, Feb. 19. The school's principal, Robert Marshall, notified his staff that day about the suspension but did not share the details with them, said
Ronnye Boone, public relations director for the school system. Marshall also alerted parents of students at the school about the suspension.
The criminal investigation began when the school received an anonymous tip of inappropriate
behavior, and the school's resource officer became involved, Boone said.
Hamilton said he believed a parent, not one for those involved in the alleged incidents, provided the tip.
The police department will continue interviewing students and plans to talk to school systems where Franks was previously employed, Hamilton said.
Franks has been with the school system since August 2005, when he was hired as assistant principal at Central Cabarrus, Boone said. Franks was in charge of special needs children, served as the attendance coordinator and oversaw 10th and 11th-grade discipline. He is also listed as the safe schools coordinator on the school's Web site.
The school system has been cooperative in the investigation, and Hamilton said he has had numerous conversations with Superintendent Barry Shepherd.
"We are deeply troubled by these allegations," Shepherd said in a statement. "Cabarrus County Schools is committed to protecting our students and to investigating all claims of inappropriate behavior."
The school system will conduct its own internal investigation and will continue to cooperate with the police department, Boone said.
Franks was previously an assistant principal at W.C. Friday Middle School in Dallas, N.C. He received a bachelor's degree from N.C. A&T University and a master's degree from Gardner-Webb University, according to the school's Web site.
Hamilton advised parents to keep a constant line of communication open with their children.
"You never know when somebody will do something horrible," Hamilton said. "This is horrible."
• Contact reporter Jessica Groover: 704-789-9152.
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