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A Wake County teacher, James Rencher, has been arrested on 12 counts of assault following an investigation by WRAL News.


Wake County teacher arrested following WRAL investigation into letters alleging abuse

<p>THE SEVERE THREAT COMING UP IN LESS THAN 15 MINUTES. GUYS. KIND OF BUSY NIGHT LIKE THANKS. &gt;&gt; DEPUTIES HAVE ARRESTED A FORMER WAKE COUNTY TEACHER FOLLOWING A WRAL INVESTIGATION. NEW TONIGHT, THE SCHOOL'S PRINCIPAL RELEASED A STATEMENT ABOUT IT. JAMES RANCHER FACES 12 COUNTS OF ASSAULTING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES. THIS FOLLOWS A SERIES OF STORIES FROM WRAL'S KEELY ARTHUR AND EDUCATION INSIDER EMILY WALKING TOURS. IT BROUGHT THE ALLEGED ABUSE TO LIGHT AND RAISED QUESTIONS ABOUT WHETHER THE SCHOOL DISTRICT INVESTIGATED THE MATTER PROPERLY. &gt;&gt; KELLY IS LIVE TONIGHT NOW WITH HOW THOSE PARENTS ARE FEELING AFTER THE TEACHER'S ARREST. HEALING. DEBORAH AND GERALD. OBVIOUSLY, THEY ARE UPSET, BUT THEY'RE HEARTENED BY THE FACT THAT THEY BELIEVE THEY FINALLY MIGHT HAVE SOME ANSWERS ANSWERS. THEY WAITED FOR FOR YEARS. WRAL SPENT 6 MONTHS SPEAKING WITH LEGAL EXPERTS, DISABILITY RIGHTS ADVOCATES AND THE SUSPECT HIMSELF BEFORE THESE CHARGES WERE BROUGHT. &gt;&gt; TODAY FOR THE FIRST TIME YOU'RE HEARING THE NAME AND SEEING THE FACE OF JAMES WRENCH OR THE TEACHER ACCUSED OF ABUSING JUSTIN HEMPHILL AND CHRISTIAN KING. I JUST DON'T TRUST ANYBODY THESE DAYS. &gt;&gt; AND IT'S IT'S HARD. IT'S A WHOLE. &gt;&gt; WHAT ABOUT THE BOY'S CLASSMATES AT EAST WAKE HIGH IN 2022? COURT RECORDS ALLEGE RANCHER PUSHED BOTH STUDENTS. HE FORCIBLY TIGHTENED CHRISTIANS BELT PULLED JUSTIN SHIRT COLLAR HIS NECK AND KNOCKED HIM TO THE GROUND. I RECALL. &gt;&gt; PICKING JUSTIN UP AND HE HAD CRUISES. HE HAD BEING ARIS IN DEBT ON HIS ARMS. AND I WAS LIKE, WHAT HAPPENED TO JUSTIN CHRISTIAN COULDN'T SAY. &gt;&gt; THEY ARE NONVERBAL. BUT IN NOVEMBER OF THAT YEAR, A LETTER SENT TO BOTH TIM IN TESTS SAID THIS. MISTER VENTURE IS VERBALLY AND PHYSICALLY ABUSING CHILDREN IN HIS CLASS HAS A DATE. HE HAS NOT BEEN REPRIMANDED. THEY IMMEDIATELY BROUGHT THE LETTERS TO PRINCIPAL. STAY SEE ALL STUNNED AND NOTHING. THEY WOULD SPEND 18 MONTHS WITHOUT ANSWERS FED UP. THEY CONTACTED WRAL AND WE ASKED THE DISTRICT REPEATEDLY. &gt;&gt; WHAT HAPPENED? A LETTER SAID THE SITUATION WAS, QUOTE, INVESTIGATED AND ADDRESSED. THEN WE DID ANOTHER STORY SHOWING THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT NEVER REPORTED ANY OF THE ALLEGED ABUSE TO LAW ENFORCEMENT &gt;&gt; SO WAS THE LAST TO GET HIM HOME TO 598 DAYS AFTER THE ANONYMOUS LETTER REACHED KING IN SMITH IN JAMES RANCHER WAS ARRESTED TODAY. WE'RE ASKING THE DISTRICT WHY IT TOOK THEM SO LONG TO REPORTED TO LAW ENFORCEMENT. &gt;&gt; THAT'S THE SCARY PART BECAUSE THESE PEOPLE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE LOOKING OUT FOR YOUR CHILDREN AND THEY CLEARLY ARE NOT. CLEARLY ARE NOT. &gt;&gt; NOW I JUST SPOKE WITH RENTERS ATTORNEY. SETH BLOOM HERE IS WHAT HE SAID. HE SAID THAT THIS IS BASELESS AND THAT IT FRENCH OR HAD COMMITTED ANY OF THESE ABUSE ALLEGATIONS. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN CAUGHT ON THE MANY CAMERA AT EAST WAKE HIGH. AS YOU MENTIONED EARLIER, PRINCIPAL STACY ALSTON SENDING OUT A MESSAGE TO FAMILIES CONNECTED THE EAST WAKE TONIGHT, ALSTON REAFFIRMED THAT RENT ARE NO LONGER WORKS AT THE SCHOOL OR FOR THE DISTRICT. &gt;&gt; I WANT TO AS THOUGH THAT RENT OR RESIGNED AFTER WE STARTED ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT THESE ALLEGATIONS WILL CONTINUE TO FOLLOW RENTER AS HE GOES THROUGH THE JUSTICE SYSTEM LIVE IN RALEIGH, KEELY, ARTHUR, WRAL, NEWS. &gt;&gt; NOW, IF CONVICTED, RENTER FACES NEARLY 2 YEARS IN JAIL, HIS NEXT COURT APPEARANCE IS NEXT MONTH. WE FIRST BROKE THE STORY EARLY THIS MORNING THROUGH A PUSH ALERTS SENT TO YOUR PHONE. BE SURE TO DOWNLOAD</p>

James Rencher

Wake County teacher arrested after WRAL investigation, charged with assaulting students

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