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Culleoka Unit School science teacher Tad Cummins s*xually assaulted and kidnapped his 15-year-old student Elizabeth Thomas in 2017. He was found guilty on the counts of kidnapping, obstruction of justice, and s*xual assault. He was then handed a 20-year sentence in prison without the possibility of parole. He is currently serving his sentence at a prison in Alabama.
Trigger warning: This article contains mentions of the s*xual assault, kidnapping, and grooming of a minor. Discretion is advised.
Cummins, who was married at the time, had reportedly taken a liking to his student Elizabeth Thomas. The teen would often confide in Cummins about her struggles at making friends at school and her family problems and would have regular after-class meetings with him. According to Thomas' witness testimony, she had considered Cummins to be her "mentor." However, it was later revealed to her that it was all a ploy to groom her.
Tad Cummins assaulted Elizabeth Thomas between spring 2016 and March 2017. However, when a student at the school reported Cummins' actions to the administration, it led to him being suspended. Since he feared that his crimes may be reported, he abducted Thomas which led to a nationwide manhunt for her. However, she was found 38 days after her disappearance and Cummins was imprisoned in the subsequent legal proceedings.
The new Lifetime crime drama film titled Abducted by My Teacher will document and will bring to light new details of the case nearly six years after the crime. The film premieres on the streaming platform on Saturday, August 12, 2023, at 8/7c. The official synopsis of the film, as per IMDb reads:
"Elizabeth Thomas (Summer Howell) was just a 15-year-old high schooler who wanted to make friends when she caught the eye of Tad Cummins (Michael Fishman), a trusted, beloved and married high school teacher. Making her feel safe and loved, he groomed Elizabeth for months, and ultimately coerced her to go on the run with him after another student reported seeing him k*ss Elizabeth."
It further reads:
"Elizabeth’s abduction set off a nationwide manhunt and her over month-long ordeal came to an end when the pair was discovered in northern California and Cummins was arrested. After enduring s*xual abuse at the hands of Cummins, Elizabeth was left to face those in her home town who thought that she was responsible for her own kidnapping. Ultimately, Elizabeth bravely stood up in court and helped send the teacher she once trusted to prison."
Tad Cummins was sentenced to twenty years in prison for s*xually assaulting and kidnapping Elizabeth Thomas
Tad Cummins was convicted of s*xually assaulting his 15-year-old student Elizabeth Thomas in 2017. He would often meet Thomas after class under the pretense of "mentoring" her, but he would assault her during these meetings.
Elizabeth Thomas also revealed in her witness testimony in the legal proceedings that Cummins would often tell her to enter the classroom closet. He would then "k*ss and f*ndle" her.
Cummins even went as far as to plan an unsanctioned school trip for Thomas and said that if she didn't attend these, she would "face the repercussions at school." During the trip, Cummins had reportedly propositioned her for s*x.
The developing relationship between Tad Cummins and Elizabeth Thomas had been noticed by the staff and students at the school. However, they did not think much of it until a student in Cummins' class reported to the school administration that she'd seen Cummins k*ssing Thomas. The incident, shockingly, was not reported to Thomas' parents. Instead, the school settled on suspending Cummins for his actions.
However, during his suspension, Tad Cummins feared that the administration might report his actions to the police. So he abducted Thomas and fled to a remote cabin in Northern California. Thomas' disappearance caused a nationwide manhunt and an investigation by the police was launched into the case. The police were on the pair's trail for 38 days before the owner of the remote cabin reported Cummins to the police.
Tad Cummins was arrested and detained and was eventually sentenced to a twenty-year jail term. He continues to serve his sentence today in Alabama. He had requested to be released from prison in 2020 over COVID-19 concerns in his cell, however, his request was denied.
Abducted by My Teacher premieres on Lifetime on Saturday, August 12, 2023, at 8/7c.
