Ex-school employee denies inappropriate relationship with student

SOUTH FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — A fired paraprofessional says he never had an inappropriate relationship with a student or a minor.

But Channel 2's Tom Jones got police records that say the former Banneker High School teacher's aide and assistant band director Tristan Carswell confessed to stealing band equipment worth thousands of dollars.

Carswell faces several charges, including sexual assault by person in a supervisory or disciplinary authority, cruelty to children and aggravated sodomy. The charges come after East Point police arrested him for an alleged incident involving a minor.

While looking into those allegations, Jones found out Fulton County School Police arrested Carswell for theft by taking. Documents show he's accused of stealing nearly $11,000 worth of band instruments and equipment last year. In a statement to police, Carswell confessed to taking 15 to 20 instruments, but said he never pawned them as police suggested.

In that statement, Carswell denied having an inappropriate relationship with any minor or student.

Parent and Banneker High School volunteer Shawn Johnson Milbry says she knew Carswell and says he worked well with her son when he attended the school. She says he was a model of professionalism.

"Had a lot of ideas, very friendly and he showed concerns," she said.

Milbry says she was shocked and hurt when she heard the allegations.

"Not only did you take from the school you took from the kids who really need it. And that's the sad part about it. At the end of the day you took from kids," Milbry said.

Carswell was out on an $11,000 bond on the theft charges. He was then arrested on the sex abuse allegations. He waived his first court appearances at the Fulton County Jail. Afterwards, his father had nothing to say until he made a comment about a Channel 2 photographer's camera lens.

"Better clean your lens. It's a little bit dirty," Terry Carswell said.

Fulton County Schools says it fired Carswell after learning of the allegations.

WSBTV