By Randy Foster
Cherokee Scout
A former Cherokee County Schools teacher and coach pleaded guilty to sex acts with a student at Andrews High School as part of a plea agreement on May 22.
Kayla Alayne Sprinkles, 31, of Hayesville, pleaded guilty to two felony counts in Cherokee County Superior Court with Judge William Coward presiding.
Sprinkles was sentenced to 13-25 months in prison, but her sentence is suspended subject to two years of supervised probation. She is required to pay $9,255 in restitution, $228 for court costs and a $250 community service fee for a total of $9,733.
Sprinkles is ordered to complete 50 hours of community service and never contact the victim. She will also be required to register as a sex offender.
Sprinkles was represented by Waynesville-based lawyer Joshua Nielsen. Assistant District Attorney John Hindsman prosecuted the case.
Sprinkles pleaded guilty to two charges for offenses in March 2017 and December 2016 while she was on the faculty at Andrews High. Three other undated counts were dismissed as part of the plea agreement.
Without the plea agreement, she faced up to 47 months for each of the five charges. Sprinkles had no prior offenses.
On March 26, 2018 an investigation was opened by the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office into allegations that Sprinkles had engaged in sex acts with a student from December 2016 until April 2017 while she was a teacher in Andrews. Sprinkles also coached softball and cross country during the 2016-17 school year.
A release from the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office said numerous interviews were conducted with people having knowledge of the case. HAVEN Children’s Advocacy Center assisted due to the age of some of the people interviewed.
Sprinkles turned herself at the Mecklenburg County Detention Center in Charlotte, where she received a $25,000 unsecured bond.
Sprinkles was hired full time by Cherokee County Schools on Aug. 13, 2015 teaching at Andrews High for two years. She was transferred to Murphy Middle School as a social studies teacher for the 2017-18 school year.
Sprinkles was suspended with pay on Nov. 7, 2017. She tendered her resignation from the school system on Dec. 12, 2017.
“Upon learning of potential allegations of misconduct, Ms. Sprinkles was suspended immediately in order for the matter to be investigated. Law enforcement was also contacted immediately,” then-superintendent Jeana Conley said in a release.
“Since November 2017, Cherokee County Schools has cooperated fully with the local sheriff’s department’s investigation. CCS is very appreciative of the diligence by our sheriff’s office into this matter.”
Sprinkles then took a job with Cherokee County Emergency Medical Services. County Manager Randy Wiggins said at the time that Sprinkles was “on suspension pending the outcome of an investigation external to Cherokee County EMS.” That suspension was without pay.