Former Thorsby teacher indicted on rape, sodomy charges

Published 1:25 pm Tuesday, February 25, 2014

A former Thorsby High School teacher was indicted by a grand jury on six counts of rape in the second degree and two counts of second-degree sodomy.

Jennifer Collins McNeill, 39, of Thorsby, was arrested in August 2013 after authorities obtained a warrant for her arrest due to allegations made regarding McNeill and a juvenile male.

McNeill is accused of having sex with a teenage boy who is between the ages of 12 and 16, according to court records.

At the time of McNeill’s arrest, Chilton County Schools Superintendent Dave Hayden confirmed that McNeill had been a sixth grade teacher at Thorsby, which is a K-12 school.

2-26 McNeill for WEB

She had also been a cheerleader sponsor, he said.

McNeill was released from the Chilton County Jail in August after posting a $160,000 bond.

The Chilton County Board of Education unanimously voted on Oct. 10, 2013, to approve Hayden’s recommendation to terminate McNeill’s employment and to cease her salary and benefits immediately.

Chilton County Chief Deputy District Attorney C.J. Robinson confirmed on Monday that McNeill’s arraignment is scheduled for March 10 in front of Chilton County Judge Sibley Reynolds.

The Chilton County Grand Jury concluded their deliberations Feb. 14 and investigated 280 cases. They returned 207 true bills.

The grand jury in Chilton County meets twice a year, once in February and once in August, and it is up to the District Attorney’s office to determine when the cases will be presented.