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Initially hired in 2001 as SMHS's assistant band director, Sanford was promoted to band director after Amy Palo's resignation after the 2001-02 school year, said David Steinbicker, school system personnel director.
After information on the alleged impropriety involving Sanford and a female student surfaced the previous weekend, SMHS Principal Kenny Nicholson and school resource officer Keith Webb alerted law enforcement, McCary said.
Before being arrested, Sanford was hospitalized overnight Thursday for an apparent drug overdose, Jackson County Sheriff Jimmy Ashe said. After being treated and released at Harris Regional Hospital, Sanford turned himself in to authorities.
While Ashe would not comment on the details of what is alleged to have transpired between Sanford and the student, who is under 16 years of age, he did say the band instructor is alleged to have made plans to meet with the student to pursue sexual activity.
"School officials and administrators at Smoky Mountain, in a cooperative, working relationship with the Sheriff's Office, took an aggressive position in closing this case," Ashe said.
In addition to last week's charges, the Sheriff's Office is looking into an alleged prior act involving Sanford and a Smoky Mountain student last year, as well as an alleged incident involving a student at Swain County High, where Sanford taught and directed band activities prior to being hired at the Sylva school. Each of these is believed to have involved band students, Ashe said. Any evidence of a crime committed in Swain County will be turned over to officials there, he said.
"Adults who take advantage of children look for trust positions in the community," the sheriff said. "It is the responsibility of law enforcement, as well as others, to educate our citizens to look for those red-flag indicators and to determine the difference between trust and deception."
According to McCary, no information on any past impropriety surfaced when local school officials were considering employing Sanford last year.
"When we checked Sanford's (Swain County) references before we hired him, everything we heard indicated we were hiring an outstanding band director," McCary said.
However, administrators at SMHS did investigate an incident at SMHS last year in which Sanford was alleged to have acted improperly toward a female student, McCary said. Because there was no evidence of impropriety, that incident was not referred to law enforcement at that time, he said.
In the course of that investigation, school officials learned of an alleged instance of past misconduct on Sanford's part during his tenure as band director at Swain County High, McCary said. When inquiries were made of Swain school officials, Jackson County school administrators were assured that there was nothing to the incident, McCary said.
"Hindsight changes that," McCary said. "When we looked at both of those and did our investigations, the people involved assured us that this was a caring person doing his job. Nothing came up that would make (Sanford's behavior) seem inappropriate, let alone criminal."
McCary praised both school officials and law enforcement personnel for their speedy investigation into the allegations against Sanford.
"They all did an outstanding job," McCary said of the officers involved. "The investigation was very swift, very thorough. I couldn't have asked for more."
The superintendent also expressed concern at the way such incidents can damage the community's trust in the school system.
"These are all allegations," McCary said. "If they turn out to be substantiated, it really makes me angry. I'm impressed by how hard teachers work to earn the trust of parents; an incident like this hurts everybody."
Jackson County School Board Chairman James Roper said he is not aware of any details with regard to Sanford's alleged indiscretion and that the charges against Sanford have not been proved.
"I regret that we have allegations of this sort in our schools," Roper said. "It's in the hands of the Sheriff's Department and district attorney."
Another SMHS teacher, Nathan Hopper, 50, received a prison sentence in July after pleading guilty to taking indecent liberties with his oldest daughter when she was between the ages of 11 and 14. As was revealed during court testimony, Hopper's daughter came forward when she realized her father was exhibiting similar behavior with regard to his younger daughter.
The case involving Hopper came to light six months after a sex scandal involving a teacher and school resource officer at Blue Ridge School was revealed. In that case, former teacher and Athletic Director Joe Brooks pleaded guilty to having sex with a student and facilitating students having sex at his home and in his office during school hours. Brooks is currently serving a five-year prison term.
Former Sheriff's Office Deputy and resource officer Robbie Hess pleaded guilty in the same case to obstruction of justice for his role in assisting Brooks. Hess received a suspended sentence.
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Sanford