A few readers have asked us about Vina High School Principal James K. Pharr and how much he knew of at least two sex scandals in his school. Obviously, we can't say what Pharr knew...or to use the old cliche'...just when he knew it.
Pharr was raised in Hackleburg and received his teaching degree from the University of North Alabama. In 2010, the Franklin County Board of Education renewed his contract as principal of the small county high school. Pharr was principal when a married female teacher began a sexual affair with a student over ten years her junior. Now another married teacher has initiated an affair under Pharr's watch.
If the latest news accounts are correct, it was the family of Sonny Tibbs' victim/lover that informed authorities of the affair--not school officials. We didn't have to dig too deeply to discover that Pharr is a coach himself and leads the Red Devils football team.
It's beginning to look a little like a good ol' boy network, isn't it? We hope the Franklin County Board of Education will hold anyone responsible who knew about Coach Sonny Tibb's sexploits with students...but we're not holding our breath.
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We haven't done an actual count of how many secondary schools are in the Lauderdale/Colbert/Franklin area. Counting non-public schools, an estimate would number close to 20. Of these 20 or so schools, the only two reported cases of teacher-student sex have been at one school in Franklin County...and not a very large school at that. Either such cases are grossly under reported or the problems at Vina are so out of control that no responsible parent would send their child to that school.
Shoalanda