Franks in Court
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A $50,000 bond has been set for suspended Haywood High School teacher Chanda Franks on rape and sex abuse charges she faces in Madison County. Monday morning, the 34-year-old from Jackson made her first court appearance after being indicted last week on 12 counts. The charges include five counts of statutory rape by an authority figure, six counts of sexual battery by an authority figure and one charge of coercion of a witness. Jackson investigators maintain the teacher and softball coach had six encounters with a then 14-year-old female students at her Jackson home between December of 2010 and February of this year. They also believe she tried to convince the young girl to change what she had told investigators about their relationship. Franks has been indicted on similar charges in Haywood County involving the same underage student. Her bond was revoked by a Haywood County judge in April after the judge ruled she had disobeyed his orders to not have contact with the alleged victim. As of Monday, she remained in the Madison County Jail.
