DOUGLASVILLE, GA — A 25-year-old high school biology teacher who was previously arrested for allegedly having sex with a student now faces charges involving five additional teenagers, bringing the total number of alleged victims to six.
Maris Nichols, who taught at Alexander High School in Douglas County, was arrested Thursday on 11 additional charges including child molestation, improper sexual contact by an employee, grooming of a minor for sexual offense, and tampering with evidence. The new charges stem from alleged inappropriate conduct with five more teenagers beyond the original case that led to her first arrest earlier this month. Nichols was released on $74,000 bond Friday, according to court records.
The investigation began after Nichols was initially charged with two counts of sexual assault by a person with supervisory or disciplinary authority. According to arrest warrants, she allegedly had sex with a student twice — once on April 23 inside a school closet and again on May 2 inside a Hummer parked in a driveway. The new warrants reveal she allegedly had sex with a different student on May 3 in the back of his truck at a local golf club. “Upon learning of the alleged misconduct, the district immediately launched an investigation,” the Douglas County School System said in a letter to parents.
Court documents detail a pattern of alleged grooming and sexual contact spanning multiple incidents from late April through early May. Nichols allegedly sent nude photos and videos of herself to several teens, including footage of herself masturbating with a sex toy during live video chats with at least two students under age 16. She also allegedly sent text messages to two male students describing sexual acts she wanted them to perform on her, including references to being “choked, screamed at, slapped and whipped,” according to warrants. Additionally, she allegedly sent nude photos to a female student and encouraged her to watch the movie “Fifty Shades of Grey.” On May 5, just days before her first arrest, Nichols allegedly told one victim to delete the explicit messages she had sent, leading to the tampering with evidence charge.
The allegations have disrupted the educational environment at Alexander High School, where parents expressed concerns about their children’s academic progress. Several parents told local media that students in Nichols’ classes received very little instruction, raising worries about falling behind academically. “We’re not asking for special treatment. We are asking for transparency, accountability, and fairness,” one anonymous parent told 11 Alive news. “Unfortunately, our concerns have repeatedly been met with resistance, limited communication, and a lack of meaningful reassurance that appropriate measures are being taken to protect all children involved, including our own.” The Douglas County School System has not disclosed Nichols’ current employment status following the additional charges.
Nichols, who is married and has a daughter, now faces a total of 13 charges across both arrests. The charges include two counts of sexual assault by a person with supervisory authority, one count of tampering with evidence, two counts of child molestation, four counts of improper sexual contact by an employee, and four counts of grooming of a minor. Her defense attorney, Christy Draper, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that “as we prepare to defend our client, we will not provide comment at this time. We are currently committed to getting to the bottom of these allegations and ensuring every fact is detailed.” Douglas County Sheriff’s Office officials declined to provide additional information about the ongoing investigation, citing the active nature of the case.
The school district emphasized its commitment to student safety in response to the expanding allegations. “Student safety is the district’s highest priority,” officials said in a statement. “The alleged behavior is unacceptable and violates the professional standards all employees are required to uphold.” The district said it continues to cooperate fully with state and local law enforcement agencies. Court records show that four of the six alleged victims were identified as Alexander High School students, though details about the other two alleged victims have not been disclosed. The case represents one of the most extensive allegations of educator misconduct in recent Douglas County history.
Nichols remains free on bond while the investigation continues. No trial date has been set, and prosecutors have not indicated whether additional charges may be filed as the investigation proceeds.
