Student's Back Scratches Expose Teacher's Secret Affair

[00:00:00]A high school teacher is serving prison time after admitting to having a sexual relationship with one of her students.

[00:00:06]>> Right now, we're just going through the formalities of the investigation [music] to get your side of it and try and find out what's been going on and why accusations like this would be brought forward, okay?

[00:00:16]>> But she wasn't the only arrest. The student's dad faced [music] charges, too.

[00:00:20]>> Unfortunately, at this time there's a bunch of evidence that goes against everything and it shows that you knew about the relationship.

[00:00:27]>> This is Inside the Crime presented by Law [music] & Crime. I'm Elizabeth Vargas.

[00:00:34]During the investigation, detectives discovered text messages and sexually graphic videos. Then witnesses came forward alleging students were used as lookouts. Then when they tried to arrest the teacher, that's when detectives learned she left the state.

[00:00:47]>> It's December 7th, 2023. We're in Pulaski County, Missouri. Just after 2:30 that afternoon, a deputy with the Pulaski County Sheriff's Office arrives to a local home to talk to a high school student's dad.

[00:00:58]>> Hey, Detective Sergeant Gean.

[00:01:00]>> Yeah.

[00:01:00]>> So, regarding your son, there's been allegations that were brought forward to Lakeway School about he has been in a relationship with the teacher.

[00:01:14]He's not in any trouble or anything.

[00:01:16]Um but I did end up seizing his cell phone because apparently there's been communications on there between the teacher and him.

[00:01:24]>> Huh.

[00:01:25]>> So, just wanted to stop by and advise you of that cuz we do have his cell phone. He's kind of freaking out but the school hasn't been able to tell him what's going on.

[00:01:32]>> I've got my people going >> Yeah, go ahead.

[00:01:34]>> Now, although this man's name is in court documents, we're choosing not to name him for a reason. And that's to protect the identity of his son. His son is a 16-year-old high school student and a witness came forward alleging the boy had a sexual relationship with his teacher.

[00:01:49]>> Apparently, this has taken place uh sometime between a week time frame either before or after his birthday in November.

[00:01:56]Is when all this took place.

[00:01:58]>> I ain't hear nothing about it.

[00:02:00]>> Yeah.

[00:02:01]Well, they just got it reported to them by another student and they called us.

[00:02:06]And I'd be in order to keep any evidence from getting deleted from the phone, we went ahead and seized it. We'll you we can either do the phone download by your consent.

[00:02:16]If you come down to the sheriff's department fill out the paperwork and do it by consent or I can apply by or a search warrant to search it.

[00:02:23]Uh cuz we believe there's going to be some evidence on there of the relationship and again he's not in any trouble for it because he's a minor and the teacher, if this is true, should know better.

[00:02:33]>> Right.

[00:02:34]>> Um but they can't talk to him at the school because they do a hotline.

[00:02:39]So children's division OHI would be the people that want to come out and talk to him.

[00:02:45]And they're wanting to know since they can't interview him at the school because the incident happened there if we can come down here tomorrow about 9:00 a.m. and interview him here at your residence.

[00:02:55]>> I won't be here tomorrow.

[00:02:57]>> Okay.

[00:02:57]>> I normally don't get off till about 1:30 p.m.

[00:03:00]>> Okay.

[00:03:02]Um will there be anybody else here that you would consent to us talking to him alone or do you want us not to talk to him or >> I'd rather talk to him first.

[00:03:10]>> Okay.

[00:03:11]>> Um and when is he when am I when am I getting his phone back?

[00:03:17]>> All I got to do is either like I said we can do it by consent and download it real quick and if there's nothing on there it gets returned.

[00:03:24]But if we do download it and find stuff on there then it's his evidence so we'd have to wait till the trial or whatever would come through or until the prosecutors decide to release it from evidence.

[00:03:36]Cuz I know he was in a little bit of a a panic mode and that's probably why he called you cuz he doesn't know what's going on or anything yet.

[00:03:42]>> Yeah.

[00:03:42]>> And I'm not going to interview him and we're going to leave that for children's division and uh the CAC which is a child advocacy center to to do it because my questions are more guilty than direct than what theirs are when they talk to juveniles.

[00:04:02]So, I guess what I need from you right now is to figure out when is a good day and time that we can come and interview him in regards to the situation.

[00:04:18]>> I mean, like I said, I'm already talking to him this afternoon, see what's going on, see if he's Oh, yeah. if he's willing to tell me anything.

[00:04:24]>> That's where it's at right now.

[00:04:26]Um I am going to go back to the office real quick, get something typed up to go seize her phone before she can delete anything as well uh for the teacher, and then we'll uh kind of go from there.

[00:04:39]Uh the feeling that's I guess is going around is that he might have feelings for this teacher, so he may not even tell us jack squat.

[00:04:47]But again, he's not a suspect in any of this. He's he's a victim.

[00:04:51]So, I don't want him to think he's a suspect, he's in trouble, or anything like that, cuz that's not the case.

[00:04:56]So.

[00:04:58]But all right, sir, I'll get out of here and we'll see you tomorrow around two, she said, right?

[00:05:04]>> That's what I got out of it.

[00:05:05]>> All right. All right, thank you, sir, and sorry for having to give this message this way, but we got to preserve the evidence as we can.

[00:05:14]All right.

[00:05:15]>> when or how they would have had time.

[00:05:18]>> Well, and we just got We just got to take it seriously and investigate it where we can, and that's hopefully some of the information that maybe he'll give us tomorrow type situation, or kind of explain to us why somebody would make these allegations.

[00:05:32]But again, I I I just want him to know that he's not in trouble, and we're not looking to get him in any trouble. We just need him to be honest with us if there is something going on so that we can get it handled.

[00:05:42]>> The teacher at the center of the allegations is identified in court documents as 26-year-old Haley Clifton Carmack. Around the time the allegations came to light, she was a high school math teacher for the La Quinta School District. So, let's jump to the next day, December 8th, 2023, when deputies pay Haley a little visit at her job.

[00:05:58]>> First off, do you have your cell phone on you?

[00:06:00]Okay, can I see that, please?

[00:06:01]>> Yeah.

[00:06:02]>> And I do have a warrant for taking it into evidence, which I will get to you, okay?

[00:06:07]Right now, the reason I'm here is the allegations have been brought forth about inappropriate relationships with a student.

[00:06:14]So, I'm here to investigate that matter.

[00:06:17]And while I investigate that matter, there's situations that they have to handle with you on that part, so we'll let them go ahead and get that part out of the way.

[00:06:24]>> Mhm.

[00:06:25]>> So.

[00:06:26]>> Yeah, I just got to tell you a couple things and I'm going to step out and you guys discuss the rest of it, but at at this point, okay, I'm going to switch you on paid administrative leave, okay?

[00:06:35]Until the until the situation's resolved, okay? So, you'll still get paid.

[00:06:39]Days won't count against you, anything like that, until the investigation's completed, and then uh we'll go from there after that, okay?

[00:06:46]Uh one thing I will need is I have to send you a certified letter to tell you that I'm putting you on administrative leave. Do you have an address? I don't know what your current address is.

[00:06:54]>> Mhm.

[00:06:55]>> Can I get that from you? Can we get that for you?

[00:06:57]>> Yes.

[00:06:59]>> I'm just going to take your phone here and put it into airplane mode, okay?

[00:07:38]>> Oh, I'm sorry.

[00:07:40]>> Thank you.

[00:07:41]And then I'll send you a letter that will be sent and regular mail to this address.

[00:07:45]Okay, just to say the letter can be written for a minute.

[00:07:48]Okay. All right.

[00:07:50]Thank you so Do you have to go to work now?

[00:07:58]Okay. Thank you.

[00:07:59]case you don't want school district possible Which is why I didn't come back here.

[00:08:11]personal private school But fortunately it's still got to be There's a law that we they have to go by. We got one, we got two. So, like he said, just breathe. If it was really that serious, I I wouldn't have waited for you to come to work today. I would've hunted you down last night. You'd be in jail right now, okay?

[00:08:39]But right now we're just going through the formalities of the investigation to get your side of it and try and find out what's been going on and why accusations like this would be brought forward, okay?

[00:08:51]So, you're not under arrest or anything. So, what we'd like to do is we'll give chance for kids to go back to class and everything.

[00:08:59]And then I'll just have you drive your own vehicle down to the Sheriff's Department and meet me down there so we can talk about everything, okay?

[00:09:06]I understand you're upset and nervous.

[00:09:09]But like I said, if it was really a big big deal, you wouldn't have waited for you to get here today or I wouldn't have waited for you to get here today and I would've found you last night, okay?

[00:09:18]Just kind of relax, take a breath, and and we'll go through all this and we'll get it worked out, okay?

[00:09:24]>> Okay.

[00:09:25]>> Again, I don't >> No.

[00:09:29]>> You see So, they go to class in about 20 minutes.

[00:09:41]>> Uh >> All right.

[00:09:59]All right, I do have a warrant to take possession of your phone. I just don't have it on me right now because I had to get it up extra early and just come straight here and not go to my office. So, but I will give you a copy of that, which will have the list of what the alleged charges are that we're investigating. So.

[00:10:20]>> Now, by this point, Haley isn't under arrest, but here's why she's under investigation. A witness came forward and told a school resource officer that a 16-year-old boy had shown them pictures of scratches down his back. The boy said the scratches were from a teacher after they allegedly had sex in her driveway. The 16-year-old boy reportedly told the witness he was even the reason for his teacher's divorce.

[00:10:40]So, as investigators show up to Haley's school, they have a search warrant for her phone.

[00:10:44]>> Again, Ms. Carmichael, just relax, okay?

[00:10:47]If it was really something serious, we would have Well, it is, but it's the point.

[00:10:58]Well, that's what we're going to look into. We know how teenagers can be.

[00:11:03]Definitely not the first person to be accused of something like this. It's just a formality of the steps we have to go through for our investigation, okay?

[00:11:10]But like I said, if it was really serious, serious, I would have found you last night or I'd be escorting you out and not caring who sees you in handcuffs, okay?

[00:11:19]But that's not the case. I want to get tell you kind of what's going on, explain it to you, and get your side of the events and figure out why somebody would make these allegations against you, okay?

[00:11:31]And I can only imagine what's going through your head right now.

[00:11:34]But again, if it was serious serious serious, we wouldn't be doing what we're doing right now, okay?

[00:11:42]Cuz I don't want to embarrass you.

[00:11:44]I don't want that for you.

[00:11:46]I want to get your side of it, and I want to do what's right in regards to the whole situation, okay?

[00:11:54]I'm not here to steer you wrong, just get accusations from you, put you in jail, and then file the charges. That's not what I'm here for. I'm here to look into the matter, and if the individuals coming forth aren't being truthful and honest, then I want to handle that situation as well, okay?

[00:12:12]Do you know where the sheriff's department is located at?

[00:12:15]>> Haley reportedly told investigators she didn't have any relationship with her 16-year-old student, but Haley seemingly was already on thin ice at her job. She reportedly got in trouble with the school administration for being too close with students. The witness who came forward to report her also told investigators she was allegedly too friendly with students and would sometimes dress inappropriately at school, and I divulged too much of her personal life to the class. But this witness also revealed they overheard a phone conversation between Haley and her 16-year-old student, where she allegedly told the boy, "I'm out of state, but I can send you money, baby." when it was his birthday. While no arrests were made at this point, the school district took action. In a statement, the district superintendent told news station KRCG 13 in part, "The district took immediate action once we were aware of the situation. An investigation is ongoing.

[00:13:00]The employee has not been in the district since December 8th, 2023, and we do not anticipate her return." And turns out the criminal investigation isn't over with either. Detectives tried to pay Haley another visit just 5 days later on December 13th, but initially, she doesn't come to the door.

[00:13:15]>> Is Haley here?

[00:13:17]>> Uh I don't know if you can let me know.

[00:13:19]>> I can hear somebody inside, but no one's coming to the door, so >> You got a warrant for her or >> I have a warrant to serve her for her phone to get the passcode for it and if she doesn't want to give me that then I send it off to get broken into by a lab. So.

[00:13:37]Yeah, so Yeah, there's a whole lot going on and we're just trying to get to the bottom of it, so.

[00:13:53]>> What's going on?

[00:13:54]>> I just have to give this to Haley.

[00:13:56]>> Well, she has retained an attorney, so I think all that has to go to Charles Fromm.

[00:14:00]>> No, not not the search warrant. The search warrant signed by the judge you have to serve it directly to her because she owns the property.

[00:14:06]So.

[00:14:07]>> Uh let me get my phone real quick.

[00:14:09]>> Okay.

[00:14:09]>> It's the attorney. It's Charles Fromm.

[00:14:12]>> Hey Mr. Fromm, it's Gibbs from the Sheriff's office.

[00:14:14]>> Hey, how are you?

[00:14:15]>> I'm good. Hey yeah, I've got a search warrant here that I just got to give to Haley for to in order to search the contents of her phone.

[00:14:23]>> Okay.

[00:14:24]>> And that's That's all it is. That that's fine. I just got to serve her with the search warrant and then I'll send it off to the lab and they'll get into it. But I just got to give her this search warrant.

[00:14:34]>> I get it.

[00:14:35]>> Yeah.

[00:14:35]So that that's why I'm out here cuz I kind of figured that'd be the case and I already have the lab on standby waiting for it, so.

[00:14:43]>> And they have the phone, Mr. Fromm, already.

[00:14:46]>> Oh, okay.

[00:14:47]>> They've had it.

[00:14:47]>> Yeah.

[00:14:50]Yeah.

[00:14:51]>> Yeah.

[00:14:55]>> So that that's why I'm here is to just make sure that she gets the warrant and then I can do what I need to do, but I got to get the warrant served first, so. You know how it is.

[00:15:04]>> Yeah.

[00:15:08]>> So I do I just got to put eyes on her hand her the warrant and then I'm out of here.

[00:15:15]>> So, what am I supposed to do?

[00:15:24]>> Yeah.

[00:15:25]>> Okay, this is this is this Michelle.

[00:15:29]Okay.

[00:15:30]Okay.

[00:15:31]All right. Thank you.

[00:15:33]>> Okay, yeah, we'll talk to >> Okay, all right, bye.

[00:15:36]>> Haley, this is just a copy of the search warrant and signed by the judge. That's your copy to keep.

[00:15:42]Uh that just describes the phone and everything and and states that we're asking well, we're given court's permission to get into the phone and download everything. And that's the judge's signature and the date and time it was signed.

[00:15:54]>> Who called it?

[00:15:54]>> Then again, uh no, Hedrick did this one, I believe.

[00:15:58]>> thought he was down in Louisiana with the >> And then that last page, again, that's nothing that you have to do. That's just a copy that came with it that uh I have to do a return on once we get everything from the phone. So, I just had to get that to you so that I could start the process of that. So.

[00:16:12]>> Okay.

[00:16:13]>> So, that's your copy. You can go ahead and get that to Mr. Fromm and that's that's all I needed to do.

[00:16:17]>> Okay.

[00:16:18]>> All right, thank you.

[00:16:18]>> Now, here's where the case took another turn. Detectives reportedly recovered text conversations on Haley's phone between her and the student discussing their alleged relationship. But as the investigation continued on December 23rd, detectives got a tip that Haley left the state. Investigators learned she moved to Texas and they weren't sure if she was going to return to Missouri.

[00:16:38]>> Haley isn't going to be Michelle here?

[00:16:40]>> No.

[00:16:40]>> Yeah.

[00:16:41]Do you know when she'll be back?

[00:16:43]>> No.

[00:16:45]>> Who all is here, do you know?

[00:16:47]Just you?

[00:16:49]So, my name is Brian Gibbs. I'm a detective sergeant with Plass County.

[00:16:53]I'm looking into the incident regarding Haley.

[00:16:57]And I heard through my investigation and talking to some people that Michelle might have some information regarding the investigation now.

[00:17:06]And that Haley is no longer living here.

[00:17:08]She got thrown out.

[00:17:12]Okay.

[00:17:14]So, she's She's going to be coming back here.

[00:17:17]Okay.

[00:17:18]Well, there will be a warrant that comes down for her with some pretty heavy charges.

[00:17:24]And I'm just trying to follow up with Michelle to see what she might know since somebody told me that she had information in regards to it now, so.

[00:17:32]But if you can just get the message to her I can stop by later this week, too, that's fine. So.

[00:17:37]All right, thank you.

[00:17:38]>> By January 3rd, a warrant is issued for Hailey's arrest. Detectives also learn before she left town, she paid a visit to the 16-year-old boy who she denied having any type of relationship with.

[00:17:48]She didn't return to Missouri until weeks later, and that was only because she was extradited there after being arrested. And she wasn't the only one to face charges. On January 3rd, another witness reportedly met with detectives and said they spoke with the boy's father, who was allegedly aware of what was going on between Hailey and his son.

[00:18:05]>> So, I got a couple questions for you.

[00:18:10]In the future, Miss Carmack, talk to you.

[00:18:15]Cuz this is me giving you a chance.

[00:18:17]>> She She said something about it and then said that her her lawyer was trying to get her phone back or something.

[00:18:25]>> Uh I'm talking about their relationship.

[00:18:28]>> What about it?

[00:18:30]>> Did they confess to you about their relationship?

[00:18:32]>> They said something He had said something about it.

[00:18:37]>> Okay, what what did he tell you about it?

[00:18:39]>> He didn't He didn't go into no detail about it. He just said that they trying to talk to me.

[00:18:45]>> Okay. And what about uh December 23rd or 24th?

[00:18:49]>> I don't know nothing about it.

[00:18:50]>> When she was over here.

[00:18:52]>> She showed up over Came and I was giving them a ride back over here.

[00:19:03]>> Okay.

[00:19:04]Well, I've I've heard it's a little more than that, and that's what I'm trying to give you a chance to be honest with me about it.

[00:19:09]>> All I know.

[00:19:10]>> And and you know about it?

[00:19:11]>> All I know.

[00:19:14]Practice at the school?

[00:19:19]>> What I gather, I texted him and asked him if he had a ride after school and I haven't heard anything outside of it.

[00:19:27]>> Okay.

[00:19:28]Well, unfortunately at this time there's a bunch of evidence that goes against everything.

[00:19:34]>> Okay.

[00:19:35]>> And it shows that you knew about the relationship.

[00:19:38]>> After y'all took the phone and I I heard about it.

[00:19:41]>> And knowing about that relationship and her being over here on the 24th and everything, that's endangering the welfare of a child first degree.

[00:19:52]It means at this point in time I've got to place you under arrest and take you into the department and you're going to be on a 24-hour hold.

[00:20:00]I'll send a probable cause statement up to the PA's office.

[00:20:04]Because I know you had contact with Haley as well and let her know about the investigation.

[00:20:11]Both told you that about their relationship and that it had been going on at school for a while.

[00:20:16]So there's a lot more that I have I've known about it and I tried to give you a chance to come forward with it.

[00:20:23]And there's even messages on his and her phone in regards to their relationship.

[00:20:28]So I'll need you to go with Deputy Yancey here.

[00:20:31]>> According to court documents, the victim's father relates to confidential witness number two that Haley and the victim have been in a sexual relationship and have used students as lookouts while they have sex during school. And that Haley had been over to the residence before she left Missouri to go to Texas. When confidential witness number two advised the father they were going to come forward with the information, he responded by telling her that they were going to do it behind my back so I may as well let it happen. He also advised confidential witness number two that he would lie for his son if he had to. After receiving this information, I went out and spoke to the father who did acknowledge that Haley had been over at their residence before leaving to go to Texas. So, in addition to the charges Haley faced, the teen's father was also arrested and charged with endangering the welfare of a child.

[00:21:14]According to his criminal complaint, the defendant knowingly acted in a manner that created a substantial risk to the body and health of confidential victim, a child less than 17 years of age, by facilitating and encouraging confidential victim to have a sexual relationship with confidential victim's teacher. And this offense was committed by the defendant as a part of an act or series of acts performed by two or more persons as a pattern of established or prescribed pattern of activity by working with confidential victim's teacher to facilitate a secret relationship with this child. Online court records show just 2 months later in March of 2024, he entered a plea of guilty to that charge and was sentenced to probation. Haley's case outcome though was much different. On January 5th of 2024, she's arrested by officers with the Garden Ridge Police Department in Texas. Her outstanding warrants were on charges of endangering the welfare of a child, second degree statutory rape, sexual contact with the student, and fourth degree child molestation. She's extradited back to Pulaski County on January 21st, where she's held on a $100,000 bond. Initially, she pleaded not guilty and her case was bound for trial. Then on March 15, 2024, a superseding indictment is filed. Instead of four charges, now she was looking at 11 criminal charges. In addition to the charges she was facing before, she was also charged with six class C misdemeanors of furnishing pornographic materials to minors. According to court documents, under count five, the defendant, knowing its contents and character, provided pornographic materials for minors consisting of a photograph of a female breast with the areola and nipple exposed where the subject is wearing a white top to confidential victim, a person under the age of 18. Under count six, the defendant, knowing its content and character, provided pornographic materials for minors consisting of a photograph of a female breast with the areola and nipple exposed where the subject is wearing a pink top and has white and black fingernails to confidential victim, a person under the age of 18. Under count seven, the defendant knowing its content and character provided pornographic materials for minors consisted of a photograph of the defendant with her breast exposed and her buttocks exposed bent over with her pants pulled down with the words, "Maybe some Netflix and chill lol. Maybe just to see how things go from there." to confidential victim, a person under the age of 18. Under count eight, the defendant knowing its contents and character provided pornographic materials for minors consisted of a photograph of a female touching her exposed vagina with light purple underwear to confidential victim, a person under the age of 18. I'm not going to read what's under count nine, 10, and 11 because it's pretty graphic.

[00:23:49]But, let's just say the document alleges Haley sent sexually explicit videos to the teen as well. While a trial was on the calendars for September of 2024, in August of that year, Haley pleaded guilty to sexual contact with a student.

[00:24:02]She was sentenced to four years in prison. Her sentence was reportedly under the DOC sex offender assessment program, which meant she could have been granted probation if she completed the program. However, in February of 2025, a judge denied her release and she'll have to serve the remainder of her sentence in prison. Haley Clifton Carmack is serving her sentence at the Chillicothe Correctional Center in [music] Missouri.

[00:24:24]When she's released from prison, she will be a tier three sex offender for the [music] rest of her life. Thanks for tuning in to this episode of Inside the Crime. I'm Elizabeth Mohler and we'll see you back here tomorrow with another case.