Former Milan band director returns to court

TRENTON, Tenn. — Former Milan High School band director, Johnathan Scruggs, returned to court Friday.  A hearing was held on multiple charges stemming from an alleged inappropriate relationship with a teenage student.

Scruggs is charged with two counts of rape and three counts sexual battery by an authority figure.

The student, now 17, told the judge the alleged inappropriate activity began two years ago when she was 15 and Scruggs was 38.

Scruggs is facing charges in Gibson County, Milan and Crockett County.

The teen also testified that certain alleged incidents occurred at Milan High School and Milan Middle School, as well as two different residences in Gadsden and the city of Gibson.

One witness who worked with Scruggs, and who was subpoenaed to appear in court, testified on several occasions he saw Scruggs alone with the student in the band room, but nothing that alarmed him.

In today’s session the judge dismissed the charge of forcible rape by an authority figure, while the remaining three counts of sexual battery by an authority figure in the case were bound over to the grand jury.