NEWTON COUNTY — A former nurse at Social Circle City Schools will serve time behind bars after pleading guilty to having a sexual relationship with a student.

Mary Elizabeth Gaddis pleaded guilty to one count of criminal attempt to commit child molestation on May 21, court records show. Gaddis was sentenced to 10 years, with the first year to be served in confinement. 

The one-year confinement sentence will be suspended after 120 days. Gaddis was booked into Newton County Jail following her plea, where she has remained since.

Gaddis is also required to register as a sex offender and will have to give up her nursing license. She is also prohibited from working at a school.

The incident reportedly took place on Feb. 20, 2024 with a child under the age of 16 years old at a Cochran Road residence. Then-Human Resources Director Debra Didier contacted the NCSO on March 5, 2024 to report the incident.

Gaddis was arrested on March 18, 2024, and was initially charged with child molestation and enticing a child for indecent purposes. As part of the plea, the latter charge was dismissed.

Social Circle City Schools said that Gaddis resigned from her position as the middle-high school nurse following the initial arrest.

“Social Circle City Schools is aware of the recent allegations regarding an employee’s inappropriate relationship with a student, and we want to assure our community that we are cooperating fully with law enforcement authorities,” the school system wrote in a 2024 statement. “The staff member in question is no longer an employee of our district.”