Exclusive: Redistricting Initiative Calls On ‘Pathetic’ Georgia GOP To Redraw Affirmative Action Map
Speaker Jon Burns looked pretty shameless in announcing Republicans won't take up redistricting in special session.Speaker Jon Burns looked pretty shameless in announcing Republicans won't take up redistricting in special session.Second former teacher at Christian school sentenced for sexually abusing same student after victim's heartbreaking testimony
A former Georgia teacher learned her fate after being convicted of sexually assaulting a male student at a Christian school, authorities said.
WSB-TV reported that a jury convicted 27-year-old Bonnie Brown on five counts of improper sexual contact by an educator in the first degree after approximately three hours of deliberation June 11.
'My school did not protect me as a child.'
Judge Stephen A. Bradley sentenced Brown to 40 years, with the first 15 to be served in prison.
Brown also was ordered to register as a sex offender upon release.
"We expect an individual put in certain positions to conduct themselves in a way that benefits the children in their care," Bradley said before sentencing, according to WXIA-TV.
As Blaze News previously reported, officers with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation arrested Brown in March 2025 after the Greene County Sheriff’s Office suspected sexual contact between a student and a former Nathanael Greene Academy teacher in Siloam.
At the time of her arrest, Brown was a teacher at a primary school in Wilkes County.
Georgia Bureau of Investigation previously said in a statement, "The investigation confirmed that Brown had engaged in sexual contact with a student while employed as a teacher at Nathanael Greene Academy."
During the trial, the victim reportedly became emotional as he detailed the enduring psychological trauma of the sexual abuse — especially by authority figures.
"All you had to do was admit it," the victim told the court, according to WXIA.
WXIA reported that the victim, now 19, testified that Brown refused to acknowledge the sexual abuse and instead attempted to portray him as a liar while making false allegations against him.
The victim revealed that he suffered emotional scars because he was bullied after the accusations became public, according to WXIA.
"As he continued reading, his voice began shaking," WXIA reported. "He struggled to breathe and became visibly overwhelmed. At one point, he could no longer continue."
WXIA noted that the teen needed to be escorted out of the courtroom by a victim advocate as he "cried and hyperventilated."
The advocate allegedly returned to the courtroom to read the victim's statement on his behalf.
The victim called on the court to impose the maximum sentence allowed, declaring that Brown had yet to face full accountability for the abuse.
Assistant District Attorney Blayne May said the victim's stirring testimony underscored the "traumatic impact" of a teacher-student sex scandal, according to WXIA.
"It's a very cathartic moment, but it brings up a lot of the trauma, and I think the judge and everyone in the courtroom saw the effect that these things have," May stated. "I think there's a stereotype that, 'Oh, it's a student and female teacher, it's got to be fun,' I think everyone saw the traumatic impact it can have on kids."
WXIA reported that Brown declined to address the courtroom.
Brown's father, Charles Gregory Brown, told the court that his daughter had no prior criminal record and was a straight-A student, a valedictorian, and a homecoming queen at Nathanael Greene Academy, WXIA reported.
"She has been violently sick, since this time, she can't sleep, she had migraines, for fear of what could happen, fearing that she would not be believed," the father said, according to WXIA.
The dad made his final plea to the judge: "I ask for leniency for Bonnie."
Following sentencing, May praised the victim for coming forward and enduring the pressures of a public trial.
"I'm very grateful to the victim for his courage for standing up, admitting, and saying what happened to him, telling the jury, and I'm grateful they believed him, and they let him have a voice," May said, according to WXIA.
"The judge and the jury by their verdict are sending a message, this community does not tolerate acts like that," May added. "I think the judge's sentence does send a message that these things, these acts, these crimes, have lasting consequences."
The victim also was sexually abused by another former Nathanael Greene Academy teacher.
Last month, 61-year-old Sherri Mauldin pleaded guilty to having sex with a 15-year-old student, according to WXIA.
Mauldin had been charged with aggravated child molestation, statutory rape, and improper sexual contact by an employee, agent, or foster parent.
A judge sentenced Mauldin to 25 years, with 12 years in prison.
Mauldin was also ordered to register as a sex offender for life.
According to the grand jury indictment, the sexual abuse occurred between Jan. 1 and Dec. 23, 2022.
Ashley Mitchell, the attorney representing the victim, in March released a statement from the teen regarding the abuse by both teachers.
According to another report from WXIA, the victim released a statement through Mitchell that read:
There was physical contact at the school and outside the school. I am relieved that these two women have been arrested and the crimes are being fully investigated. These women took advantage of their positions as my teachers. My school did not protect me as a child. I see that now, and I hope that these arrests will protect our community and children in it.
Nathanael Greene Academy has closed down, according to a Union-Recorder report published last month. The school's website is no longer operational, but an archived website exists. Blaze News called a phone number associated with the school, which went straight to voicemail, and left multiple requests for comment, but the school did not immediately reply.
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'Hammer Down!' Trump-backed favorite wins Georgia Republican Senate runoff
Republican voters in Georgia have showed up to the polls to officially agree with the president's recommendation.
More than 700,000 votes decided the Georgia Republican Senate runoff on Tuesday, with the victory going to the Trump-endorsed favorite.
'Now it's time to get to work.'
Sitting U.S. Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.) received a detailed endorsement from President Trump just two days before the election, when he called Collins a "Highly Respected Congressman who has been with me from the very beginning," in a post on Truth Social.
Collins won the runoff with about 56% of the vote against fellow Republican Derek Dooley — a former football coach for the University of Tennessee Volunteers — despite Dooley outperforming Collins in the counties surrounding Atlanta, including Fulton County, where the capital city is located.
Collins' victory was by nearly the same margin that separated the two during the May primary. At that time Collins finished with nearly 41% of the vote, while Dooley had about 30%, according to CBS News. This time, Dooley finished 11 points behind Collins again, garnering nearly 45% in the head-to-head vote, per The Hill.
RELATED: Early red flag for GOP? Democrats rack up massive Q1 fundraising hauls
Collins has long been considered the favorite in the election as a MAGA-style Republican and led polls ahead of the primary by an average of 11.5 points. However, polls had him with just a two-point advantage over Dooley ahead of the runoff election in June.
Collins now heads to the November general election against Democrat Sen. Jon Ossoff. Ossoff went unopposed in the Democratic primary, having held his office since 2021.
Collins reacted to his victory with a post on X, saying he is "honored" to be the Republican nominee.
"Now it's time to get to work, defeat Jon Ossoff, and take this seat back for the people of this state. Hammer Down!" Collins wrote.
RELATED: 'Friend' of President Trump advances to Georgia Republican Senate primary runoff
Trump had previously endorsed Collins ahead of the primary, as well, calling Collins his "friend" while adding that he likes him "a lot."
On Sunday, the president assured voters that Collins would work hard to "Grow the Economy, Cut Taxes and Regulations, Promote MADE IN THE U.S.A., Champion American Energy DOMINANCE," and more.
Collins reaffirmed his immigration stance in a post on runoff Election Day, stating that "America wasn't built by people who chose the easy path. It was built by patriots who worked hard, took risks, and never gave up."
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Teacher accused of sexually assaulting student; court docs say she texted boy: 'I won't do well in jail ... I'm too pretty'
A former teacher from Georgia is accused of sexually assaulting a student and attempting to convince the teen to run away to Mexico with her after investigators uncovered nearly 20,000 damning text messages between the pair, according to multiple reports.
The Roswell Police Department said in a statement that 55-year-old Amanda Katz was arrested on June 2. Bond was set at $25,000, according to jail records.
'I can’t stop looking at you and certainly keep my hands to myself.'
WAGA-TV reported that Katz was charged with improper sexual contact by an employee or agent.
The charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, according to the New York Post.
Katz had been a teacher and administrative assistant at Roswell High School.
WXIA-TV obtained the arrest warrant saying Katz was a teacher of the alleged victim before she transitioned into an administrative role at Roswell High School.
Police said Katz sexually assaulted a 16-year-old student during multiple off-campus encounters between December 2025 and February 2026.
Katz resigned during the middle of the police investigation, police said.
Fulton County Schools confirmed the district no longer employs her.
Citing the affidavit, the Post reported that the alleged victim told police he had unprotected sex several times with Katz in her home and the backseat of her Jaguar car.
"During a forensic interview, the teen told investigators Katz encouraged him to transfer from Roswell High School to another high school that would allow him to graduate sooner," WXIA reported.
The student said Katz told him she was "literally scared s**tless" about the prospect of getting caught with the boy and going to prison, the affidavit said.
WXIA reported that Katz was "considered a trusted family friend" of the alleged victim, and she even tutored the boy's younger sibling. The affidavit said Katz bought gifts for the alleged victim's siblings, including jewelry and a Nintendo Switch.
The teen's mother grew suspicious of the alleged illicit relationship when Katz invited the boy and his family to a cabin in the north Georgia mountains during Valentine's Day weekend, the arrest warrant stated.
WSB-TV reported that the teen’s mother said she noticed how "comfortable" Katz and her son were.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution obtained the arrest warrant saying the teen's mother discovered text messages on her son's cell phone and "knew there was something wrong."
The warrant said when Katz returned to work after the trip, she told her co-workers that she was "in a manic state" and complained that her "boyfriend’s mother" said they couldn't be in a relationship.
The warrant revealed that when a co-worker learned that Katz's boyfriend was a student at the high school, the co-worker alerted authorities.
Detectives obtained the teen's cell phone, which revealed Katz and the boy exchanged at least 19,585 text messages and made 591 calls, the warrant said.
"Throughout the lengthy text thread between [teen] and Amanda, they discussed their relationship and potential future lives together, how and why they need to keep their relationship secret, and multiple sexual interactions," the affidavit said, according to People magazine.
The New York Post reported, "In other messages, she told the boy that sex was 'fun,' and that she would 'walk away from everything' to be with him."
The warrant said Katz messaged the student, "I meant everything I said to you. I would give you everything I have. And I’m human. I know it sounds stupid, but you not being mine isn’t an option. I can’t do this."
The alleged victim told investigators Katz wanted him to move into her home after he graduated from high school, police said.
"[He] said he had mixed feelings about leaving his family and that Amanda wanted to go further with their relationship, move in together, and to commit to each other. ... [He] said Amanda offered to take care of him (financially and provide a place to stay, etc.)," the affidavit read.
Katz also wanted the student to move to Mexico with her, police said.
"[He] also said that Amanda had told him that she wanted to move to Mexico with him, but he did not want to do that, nor did he understand why she would want to go there," the affidavit revealed.
According to the affidavit, "Amanda also admitted that her actions were inappropriate and that she could be arrested if detected."
"I have done a lot of stupid things. A lot. But this is top level," Katz wrote, according to the affidavit.
"I am crazy about you. I can’t be around you," Katz said to the teen, the affidavit said.
The affidavit said Katz texted the teen, "I can’t stop looking at you and certainly keep my hands to myself. Just telling you this can get me fired. ... I need to leave Roswell. ... Please delete this entire thread."
"I was truly happy for the first time in a long time. I want you to know that. But this is killing me. This conversation can’t happen. Everything about us has to be deleted," read a text message Katz sent to the teen on Dec. 29, 2025, WSB reported.
"We are lying to everyone. For what? How long? I don’t want to go to jail ... I won’t do well in jail ... I’m too pretty," Katz wrote to the teen, the warrant stated.
The arrest warrant said Katz told the teen, "I loved you. And this is the most f**ked up and scary thing that has ever happened to me. You f**king broke my heart. ... This is probably the worst thing anyone has ever done to me. You abandoned me."
The Roswell Police Department and Fulton County Schools did not immediately respond to Blaze News' request for comment.
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