Teen Abducted By Teacher Is Acting Like Different Person; Family At A Loss

In March 2017, police issued an Amber Alert for Elizabeth Thomas, 15, after she disappeared from her hometown in Tennessee. Authorities discovered that she was with her teacher Tad Cummins, 50, a father and grandfather who had previously been accused of kissing Elizabeth in his classroom. Elizabeth was a freshman student at the Culleoka Unit High School in Maury County.

Their First Encounter

Elizabeth’s sister Sarah Thomas described the pair’s first, and inappropriate, encounter at the beginning of the school year. According to Sarah, Cummins reportedly rubbed both her and Elizabeth’s shoulders and ran his hands down their backs.

A Teacher Earns His Student’s Trust

Sarah told People magazine, “Elizabeth looked at me with her eyes, like, ‘This guy is scary, get this guy off.’” Although she seemed wary of Cummins in the beginning, Elizabeth was eventually seduced by her teacher, who was old enough to be her father. According to family members, Cummins “groomed” Elizabeth and earned her trust.

The pair allegedly kissed on school property on Jan. 23, 2017, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. On March 13, 2017, police issued a multi-state Amber Alert and an arrest warrant for Cummins on charges of aggravated kidnapping and sexual contact with a minor.