ALAMANCE COUNTY, N.C. — Alamance County Sheriff's Office says a Southern Alamance High School student and a former teacher face felony sex offense charges.
According to a release, deputies and the Alamance-Burlington School System were notified about multiple attempted sexual assaults happening on a school bus, involving two middle school students and a high school student.
The SRO and investigators from the special victims unit spoke to the victims and found video evidence of a high-schooler, identified as 18-year-old Brandon Tyler Lane, physically assaulting and attempting to sexually assault a middle-schooler.
Investigators said they later learned that the teacher, 42-year-old Samuel Bradly Freeze, also drives the bus and knew about the incidents, but continued to let the assaults happen. Freeze was charged with felony aid and abet attempted second-degree forcible sex offense, one count felony child abuse - sexual acts, and four counts misdemeanor child abuse. He received a $50,000 bond.
Alamance-Burlington Schools said Freeze is no longer an employee with the school system as of Tuesday, March 10. He's been at Southern Alamance High since 2001 and has been a bus driver substitute since 2003. School officials say Freeze was also support-staff for Athletics for about a year and the JV Wrestling Coach for about six months.
The high school student has been charged with felony attempted second-degree forcible sex offense, four counts of misdemeanor assault, and one count of misdemeanor sexual battery. He received a $10,000 bond.
ABSS said middle and high school students with the same bus routes ride the same buses throughout the district.
Ashley Blake is concerned about her middle school son who rides a different bus with Southern Alamance High School students.
"We trust these teachers and bus drivers to keep our kids safe. He’s on the bus for an hour and a half. What is he being exposed to on this hour and a half ride if an entire sexual assault has happened and nothing has been reported? It’s very concerning," said Blake.
"ABSS is cooperating fully with the Alamance County Sheriff's Department on their ongoing investigation and we can't comment further," a district spokesperson told WFMY News 2.
The case is ongoing and investigators say additional charges are possible.
