Teacher charged with having sex with student in classroom

Thomas Ray Harris, 49, was suspended without pay from his job at Oakland High School on Monday, Rutherford County school officials said. He was charged Saturday with 20 counts of statutory rape and 25 counts of sexual battery by an authority figure.

“All of these events occurred in Mr. Harris’ classroom at Oakland High School,” Sheriff’s Detective Mickey McCullough told The Daily News Journal.

Harris is a tenured algebra teacher and assistant football coach at Oakland. He also is a music minister at Hillview Baptist Church and a TSSAA referee for boys and girls basketball.

During the past 13 years, Harris worked in other Rutherford, Maury, Bedford, Williamson, Dickson, Humphreys, Wilson and Bedford schools, McCullough said.

The investigation began Friday when the student’s father contacted a Smyrna police officer. McCullough then interviewed the girl and Harris and said their stories were consistent.

“He said he loved her,” McCullough said. “He was hoping to marry her when she was 18.”

Harris was being held in the Rutherford jail with bond set at $450,000.

A preliminary hearing was set for March 29 in General Sessions Court.