A former Columbia Middle School coach was arrested Thursday on accusations he sexually assaulted a 13-year-old student, DeKalb County officials said.

Joshua Alexander Robinson, 35, of Atlanta, was booked into the DeKalb jail on child molestation, sexual battery and enticing a child charges stemming from an alleged Oct. 3 incident, according to jail records.

Warrants were taken out for Robinson’s arrest Tuesday after the student came forward with allegations, DeKalb sheriff’s office spokeswoman Cynthia Williams said.

Robinson was a student engagement coach at the school, DeKalb schools spokeswoman Eileen Houston-Stewart said. He no longer works for the school system.

In a letter sent to parents earlier in the week, principal Keith Jones said student safety and learning is a top priority at the school.

“While privacy laws prevent us from sharing additional information about the employee, we wanted you to be aware of the incident,” Jones said. “As with all matters of student safety, we take this incident very seriously and have acted accordingly in the best interests of our young men and women.”

In other news:

Parents say the coach was caring and dedicated, and they're stunned to learn deputies have warrants out on the 35-year-old man.

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Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum, accompanied by Atlanta Fire Chief Roderick Smith, provided an update to the press during a media tour at the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center. They discussed the new Simulation Center, which will enable officers to train for various crime scenarios, including domestic disputes, commercial robberies, and kidnappings. Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024.
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