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Former Dixon School District employee facing allegations of inappropriate relationships with students
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Former Dixon School District employee facing allegations of inappropriate relationships with students

DIXON, Mo. (KY3) – Authorities have arrested a former paraprofessional and long-term substitute in the Dixon School District accused of inappropriate behavior with at least two students.

Carissa Smith faces 14 counts of statutory sodomy, statutory rape, sexual misconduct involving a child, sex trafficking, promoting prostitution and endangering the welfare of a child. A judge set her bond at $250,000.

Investigators say the incidents happened from August 2023 to September 2024. They say the victims shared multiple incidents of sexual acts in multiple locations. Investigators say the victims said Smith exchanged sexual favors for money, alcohol and marijuana.

Investigators notified the school district. However, she was no longer an employee of the district.

The district provided this statement to KY3:

I am writing to inform you of a serious matter involving a former Dixon R-1 School District employee, Ms. Carissa Smith. We were unable to share this information with you earlier due to the need to allow law enforcement to fully investigate without interference.

Earlier this school year, the District received a report of possible misconduct by Ms. Smith with at least one student in the District. This report has been forwarded to the authorities responsible for investigating concerns of this nature. We have fully cooperated with both the Missouri Children’s Division and law enforcement throughout their investigations. I have also been in contact with the affected families. This morning we learned that Ms. Smith was arrested and taken into custody by the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office. Although the District did not receive a copy of the charges, public records show that Ms. Smith was charged with nineteen felony counts involving sexual misconduct with a minor. This is very disturbing and upsetting information for everyone in our school community. I would like to share with you the steps our school district is taking on serious matters like this. Whenever we receive a report of alleged employee misconduct involving a student, the administration initiates an investigation into the matter. If the matter involves certain types of allegations, we contact the Missouri Division of Children and Cooperates with the authorities involved. Additionally, to protect everyone involved, the employee is usually placed on administrative leave during the investigation. Our Board of Education policies set out our expectations for staff conduct. All employees also attend annual training on appropriate behavior toward students, including appropriate boundaries between District employees and students. The district also conducts pre-employment background checks on employees. At all times, the first and foremost mission of our school district is to provide the best possible education to our students in a safe and secure environment. Therefore, parents and students should be reassured that we are acting and will continue to act in accordance with our policies to address this issue and maintain the safe educational environment our community deserves and expects. We appreciate the patience of our school community as we go through this process.

If you have concerns about the conduct of a school employee with your child or any other child, you may contact Superintendent Travis Bohrer at 573-759-7163, ext. 1, Missouri Children’s Division at 1-800-392-3738, or Detective Chance Shoecraft with the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department 573-774-6196, ext. 4808.

To report a correction or typo, please send an email [email protected]. Please include item information in the subject line of your email.