Former teacher indicted on sexual assault, heroin possession charges

DALTON — A former Northwest Whitfield High School teacher has been indicted by the grand jury for sexual assault by a person with supervisory and disciplinary authority for a relationship with a student and for possession of heroin.

According to the indictments, Raquel Eleana Spencer, who was an English teacher at Northwest before resigning after her arrest, had sexual intercourse with a student who attended the high school. The indictment specified the relationship as between Oct. 1, 2017, and April 8, 2018.

She was arrested at the school on April 25 after she’d been reportedly acting erratic. During the investigation a search of her phone revealed the alleged sexual relationship.

Spencer was released from jail on May 1 on a $30,000 bond.

SAN DIEGO — A federal judge on Monday ordered a temporary halt to deportations of immigrant families reunited after being separated at the border, as the Trump administration races to meet a July 26 deadline for putting more than 2,500 children back in their parents’ arms.

U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw imposed a delay of at least a week after a request from the American Civil Liberties Union, which cited “persistent and increasing rumors ... that mass deportations may be carried out imminently and immediately upon reunification.”

Justice Department attorney Scott Stewart opposed the delay but did not address the rumors in court.

The ACLU requested that parents have at least one week to decide whether to pursue asylum in the U.S. after they are reunited with their children. The judge held off on deciding that issue until the government outlines its objections in writing by next Monday.

ACLU attorney Lee Gelernt told reporters that he was “extremely pleased” by the halt and that parents need time to think over with their children and advisers whether to seek asylum.

“It’s hard to imagine a more profound or momentous decision,” he said.

The hearing in San Diego occurred as the government accelerated reunifications at eight unidentified U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement locations. The families are scattered around the country, the adults at immigration detention centers, the children at shelters overseen by the government.

Annunciation House, a shelter in El Paso, said the government has begun transporting children in a “tremendous amount of airline flights” to El Paso and elsewhere.