Missouri high school teacher admits having sex with student

FORSYTH, Mo. – A former teacher and coach at a southwest Missouri high school will serve five years of supervised probation after pleading guilty to having sexual contact with a student.

Calvin Thomas Jr., a former special needs teacher at Hollister High School, pleaded guilty Tuesday to two counts of second-degree statutory rape. Two other charges were dropped as part of the plea agreement.

Thomas received two suspended sentences of seven years in prison.

Hollister police started investigating in June 2016 after a 16-year-old girl’s mother found messages from Thomas on her daughter’s cellphone. A police report says Thomas took the girl to his home twice to have sex.

Thomas taught at Hollister from 2012 to 2016. He also was track and field coach and offensive co-ordinator for the football team.