(This story has been updated to add new information.)
A substitute teacher in Fayetteville was arrested Sunday on allegations he took indecent liberties with a middle school student, according to a news release Tuesday.
Brandon Montrell Cromartie, 31, of McArthur Landing Circle in Fayetteville, is charged in the incident that the Fayetteville Police Department said happened last school year at Luther Nick Jeralds Middle School on Ramsey Street.
“Evidence recently brought to light initiated the investigation,” the release said.
Cromartie was released from the Cumberland County jail Sunday on $25,000 bail after paying $2,500 to a bondsman, court records show.
Lindsay Whitley, spokesman for Cumberland County Schools, said Tuesday that Cromartie began as a daily substitute teacher in August 2021 and later became a permanent substitute teacher until Sept. 23, 2024.
“The safety and well-being of students is the school system’s highest priority. In collaboration with its partners, the school system conducts thorough background checks on all employees, including substitute teachers,” Whitley said. “District officials are fully committed to cooperating with law enforcement in their investigation.”