Court papers: Teacher threatened teen before

A former Middle Tennessee teacher accused of kidnapping 15-year-old Elizabeth Thomas last month threatened the girl with repercussions, according to newly filed court papers.

Tad Cummins, 50, was a “masterfully manipulating predator” who pressured the girl to go out with him by threatening her with repercussions at school, according to a petition for perpetuation of testimony filed Thursday in Maury County Chancery Court.

The 12-page petition was filed by the girl’s father, Anthony Thomas, on behalf of the girl who disappeared from her Columbia, Tenn., home March 13. The girl and Cummins, wanted on an aggravating kidnapping charge in the case, remained at the center of a statewide Tennessee Amber Alert out of Maury County on Friday.

The case garnered national attention after TBI investigators last month announced Cummins may have been abusing his role as the girl’s teacher to groom her in an effort to lure and potentially sexually exploit her. Cummins, who taught at Culleoka Unit School, was fired after a student reported seeing what appeared to be a kiss between the two in January.

The new filing requests the court to authorize the family’s attorney, Jason Whatley, to take depositions of people who know information about interactions between the girl and Cummins but are hesitant to cooperate in sharing information related to the case.

According to the petition, on the evening of March 13, one of Thomas’ siblings told police the girl woke the sibling earlier that morning to tell her if she didn’t return by 6 p.m. to call for help. Thomas disappeared that evening.

Since then, the petition alleges, her father said he learned Cummins, on more than one occasion picked up the girl from her home for a meal, threatening if she did not go with him she would face repercussions at school.

“The child had told various siblings and/or friends that she was scared of Cummins and felt in over her head,” the filing shows.

The filing goes on to state Cummins, after his suspension from school, frequently visited a fast-food restaurant where Thomas worked.

The teen, court papers show, at times would hide from him and ask co-workers to lie about her being at work.

“In short, petitioner asserts that Cummins was stalking the child,” the documents show.