East Coweta Health and PE Teacher Charged With Public Indecency Following Classroom Incident

An East Coweta High School Health and PE teacher has been charged with public indecency after students reported an incident in a classroom earlier this week, according to school officials and the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office.

According to information shared with The Citizenby an anonymous source, teacher Lewis McCarty was reportedly wearing shorts while seated behind a table and was allegedly not wearing undergarments when students observed his genitalia. The source said several students saw the exposure, and at least one student reportedly took a photograph.

In a letter sent to parents Thursday, Principal Stephen Allen said the charge stemmed from “a concern brought to the school’s administration by students in a Health and PE class on Tuesday.” Allen identified the staff member as teacher Lewis McCarty and said McCarty was placed on administrative leave Tuesday while the matter was investigated by school administrators and the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office.

“Law enforcement charged Mr. McCarty late yesterday,” Allen wrote in the letter to parents.

Coweta County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Sgt. Chris Ricketson said Thursday that the investigation remains active.

“The school system has released a statement which is accurate,” Ricketson said. “We can only provide that Mr. McCarty’s genitalia was exposed to students.”

Ricketson added that McCarty has an active warrant for public indecency and had not been arrested as of Thursday afternoon.

The Citizen has not independently verified the alleged photograph, and authorities have not publicly released additional details about the circumstances surrounding the investigation.

In his letter, Allen said the school system’s “emphasis on safety and the well-being of students and staff remains an utmost priority.”

“It is our goal to always be proactive when the safety of students or questions about the behavior of staff and students on our campus arise,” Allen wrote. “Please remind your students to notify the administration at any time when they are concerned about their safety.”

Allen also encouraged parents with questions about the incident or school safety procedures to contact the school administration.

No additional charges have been announced at this time.