Who is James Tyler Kelly? Alamance Middle School assistant principal arrested over misconduct allegations 

James Tyler Kelly, a 39-year-old assistant principal of Alamance Middle School, was arrested on Tuesday, August 8, after he was accused of being s*xually involved with a student.

Authorities reportedly began investigating Kelly after receiving a complaint that he was involved in “misconduct” with a student on Monday. Shortly after, Kelly was arrested and charged with one count of felony s*x act with a student.

While police did not reveal additional information on the case, they said that the incident did not occur on school property.

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James Tyler Kelly began working for the Alamance school district in 2011

In the wake of James Tyler Kelly’s arrest, the Alamance school district said that he was suspended without compensation. Kelly, who was taken into custody at a home in High Point on Tuesday, has reportedly been working for over a decade for the school district.

James Tyler Kelly, who has been employed at the Alamance school district since 2011, reportedly started as a teacher at Edwin M Holt Elementary and then Ray Street Academy. Kelly, who was described as an exception in the field, also coached students in football at Southern Alamance High School.

According to Fox News, Kelly’s outstanding performance as a teacher reportedly elevated him to the assistant principal position at Southern Alamance High School in 2020. James Tyler Kelly began working as the assistant principal of Southern Alamance Middle School in June 2023 following the reshuffling of administrators within the school district.

Following James Tyler Kelly's arrest, the Alamance Burlington School System released a statement condemning the principal’s actions and assuring the parents that student safety is their top priority.

"We are deeply troubled by the recent arrest of one of our Assistant Principals for alleged misconduct with a student. Protecting our students is our top priority. While we must let the legal process unfold, any such allegations represent a profound breach of trust with our ABSS community. We are cooperating fully with law enforcement as this is an ongoing investigation and will take appropriate actions based on the findings of the investigation.”

The school, while stressing that the incident did not occur on school property, added that they were committed to fostering a safe and supporting environment for all the pupils.

“Additionally, we understand this may generate concern among our school community. However, we remain fully committed to student safety, transparency, and maintaining a caring, supportive learning environment for all."

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In a similar incident, a former Alamance County middle school teacher was accused of s*xual misconduct with a student in April. Ivan Ardila-Perez, 36, was taken into custody on April 26 after a concerned parent of a student contacted detectives alleging the teacher was acting inappropriately with the child.

Shortly after, multiple students between the ages of 11 to 13 spoke with detectives about their inappropriate interactions with Ardila-Perez.

Ardila-Perez, who was first charged with two counts of indecent liberties with a student and two counts of indecent liberties with children, was slammed with additional charges after multiple students came forward with allegations against the teacher.

Ardila-Perez was then served with additional warrants with one count of taking felony indecent liberties with a student and one count of taking felony indecent liberties with a child.