A former Thorsby High School teacher who was sentenced to five years in prison for rape and sodomy charges of a student was denied parole on Wednesday.

Jennifer Collins McNeill, 40, of Thorsby, appeared before the State of Alabama Pardon and Parole Board Dec. 17 for consideration of parole on a sentence of 60 months she received Aug. 7, according to a release from Chief Deputy District Attorney C.J. Robinson with the 19th Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office.

Circuit Judge John B. Bush sentenced McNeill to 60 months in state prison on three counts of rape in the second-degree and one count of sodomy in the second-degree, with each sentence to run concurrently.

Present for the parole hearing were numerous supporters and protestors interested in whether McNeill would receive early release from Tutwiler Penal Facility, according to the release.

McNeill’s attorney and her parents addressed the Parole Board asking for parole to be granted.

District Attorney Randall Houston, Robinson, Attorney General Victim Service Officer Ashley Harbin, and the mother of the victim in McNeill’s case all addressed the Parole Board protesting any form of parole.

“The District Attorney’s Office usually appears before this board when the most violent criminals are considered for parole, but in this case we are here because less than four months is an insufficient amount of time to qualify as punishment in this case,” Houston told the board.

Robinson spoke to the specific facts of McNeill’s crimes, the trusting relationship that was betrayed with the victim’s family, and the public disrespect that was shown for the legal system after McNeill entered a plea of guilt and was awaiting sentencing, according to the release.

“The last line of McNeill’s Facebook post was, ‘A lie can’t live forever,’” Robinson told the board. “That is true, and in this case the truth finally came out. We know that McNeill won’t be in prison forever. We know that she will be released one day, but we ask that it not be today.”

Parole board member Robert Longshore directed some remarks to those in attendance, referring to the legislative mandate that anyone incarcerated in Alabama with a sentence of five years or less is considered for parole almost immediately.

“The fact that a hearing is being held this soon is not a reflection on the merits of a case, but it is a formality we are required to follow,” Longshore said.

Parole board chairman Clifford Walker announced that based on the guidelines passed by the legislature, McNeill was eligible for a “time” and even if parole was denied, her release date could be as early as November of 2016.

After a brief deliberation among the three members of the board, Walker announced that after a full review of the case, parole for McNeill was denied and she would not be considered for parole again.

McNeill will also serve the maximum sentence allowed by law, according to the release.

“We are pleased with the board’s decision today, and although we would like to keep her in Tutwiler longer, some things are beyond our control,” Robinson said. “It was a shame we had to come and object at a hearing this soon, but I am glad we can finally close the book on this case.”

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

She was arrested in August 2013 after authorities obtained a warrant for her arrest due to allegations made regarding McNeill and a juvenile male.

At the time of McNeill’s arrest, McNeill was a sixth grade teacher at Thorsby, which is a K-12 school.

She was also a cheerleader sponsor.

In Oct. 2013, the Chilton County Board of Education unanimously voted to terminate McNeill’s employment and to cease her salary and benefits immediately.