Orlando Lanier.jpg

Jarvis Orlando Lanier

(Tuscaloosa Police)

A former Tuscaloosa elementary school teacher and junior high coach arrested last month after police say he had inappropriate sexual contact with five female students is now charged with first-degree rape and sex abuse of a child under the age of 12.

Tuscaloosa police today announced the rape and sex abuse charges against Jarvis Orlando Lanier, 32. Lt. Teena Richardson said the new charges against Lanier came after the Department of Human Resources notified investigators of a new victim.

Police were notified of the new charges on May 6, Richardson said. "After a thorough investigation by DHR and Investigators, law enforcement had probable cause to obtain warrants for the listed charges,'' Richardson said in a press release.

Lanier is back in jail with bonds totaling $120,000. Authorities didn't release any additional information about the victim or the sexual assault. They didn't say whether it dealt with a student. Though efforts to reach school officials have been unsuccessful, the school's website no longer lists Lanier as an employee.

Police first announced charges against Lanier in April saying he inappropriately touched five female students over a two-month period this year. In those cases, Lanier is charged with five counts of a school employee having sexual contact with a student under the age of 19.

Richardson said the department's Juvenile Division launched an investigation after they were made aware of reported inappropriate behavior. According to Richardson, Lanier touched five female students between the ages of 13 to 17 during track practice on the grounds of Central High School Football Field House from February to April.

According to court records recently made available in one of those cases, a 17-year-old girl detailed Lanier's inappropriate contact with her. The teen girl, an athlete, told authorities Lanier would stretch her legs and thighs when they were hurting.

"The victim stated that she remembered one day during the month of February 2016 the above suspect stretched her before practice. The suspect advised her to go into the field house and lay down on her back he would be in soon. The victim stated that next the suspect came into the field house to stretch her. The victim stated that she was wearing spandex volleyball shorts when the suspect began to stretch her. The victim stated that the suspect raised one of her legs in the air while one leg remained on the floor. The victim stated that the suspect had one hand on the leg in the air and he tried to pull apart her shorts, so she moved out of the way and walked out the door. The victim stated that on another occasion, the suspect advised her that she need to stretch her groin area so she opened up her shorts, stuck his hands down into them and rubbed her near her vaginal area."

Lanier was a teacher at Central Elementary Primary School and track coach at Westlawn Middle School. He had held those positions for two years, and was also listed as an assistant football coach and track coach at Central High School.