Stephens Pleads Guilty in Teacher-Student Sex Case

QUITMAN — An ex school teacher has pleaded guilty in a Quitman courtroom to one count of improper relationship with a student. All other charges against Jo Ann Stephens, 43, have been dropped. Stephens is the former Mineola teacher who faced charges for an alleged sexual relationship with a student who was 15 at the time. Earlier, the judge dismissed lawyer Thad Davidson’s motion to dismiss the prosecuting lawyer from Stephens’s case. The judge also sanctioned Davidson. He has been fined $1,000. The judge says he ruled against Davidson’s motion because he didn’t have “civil standing.”

When asked why he filed the motion, Davidson said: “I can comment about when an attorney approaches a witness who is adverse and hostile, and pays for that witness’s dinner and drinks… and then during that dinner lets it be known that a certain type of proposed testimony would — I don’t think I should say anymore.” Davidson also says he does not regret his decision to file the motion.