Birmingham, AL 02/17/2017
A 22-year-old volunteer assistant coach at Clay-Chalkville High School has been arrested and charged with having sexual contact with a 15-year-old female student.
On December 7, 2016, the School Resource Officer at the high school was informed by school administrators of an inappropriate relationship between the student and the coach. Investigators from the Sheriff’s Office Youth Services Division were brought in to investigate.
The mother of the child told investigators that, on December 6, 2017, she had arrived at the girls father’s home to pick up the child. She found the child there alone with coach. She felt uneasy about the situation and questioned her daughter. After initially denying any inappropriate behavior, the child admitted to having a relationship with the coach, who was a volunteer assistant for the volleyball team on which she played. The mother informed school administrators the next morning.
Detectives learned that the coach had met with the girl at the father’s home after school on several occasions between October and December 2016 and that they had engaged in sexual contact during these visits. When the coach was questioned, she denied any wrongdoing and said that she thought of the relationship as being like sisters. She denied any sexual conduct.
Detectives concluded their investigation and, on February 15, 2017, presented the findings to the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office. Arrest warrants were issued for the coach, 22-year-old Willyncia Joy Harper of Hoover. Harper is charged with School Employee Engaging in Sex Act with a Student Under the Age of 19 and School Employee having Sexual Contact with a Student Under the Age of 19.
Harper was arrested just before noon today and taken to the Jefferson County Jail. She posted $18,000 bond and was released pending court proceedings.