Student Speaks Out About Affair With Teacher

March 13, 2007 — -- Like a reluctant witness called to testify, 17-year-old Tommy Clay haltingly described to a national television audience today how he ended up in a scandalous relationship with his high school social studies teacher. And what it cost him.

"She was somebody I could really talk to and relate to," the Colorado teenager confessed on NBC's "The Today Show." "I met her in summer school and things just developed from there."

What's "developed" has 30-year-old Carrie McCandless facing felony charges of sexual assault on an underage student, and for contributing to the delinquency of a minor for allegedly providing him with alcohol.

According to reports from the arrest affidavits, the Brighton Charter School teacher and her student became romantically involved in early October of last year.

The affair heated up quickly, according to court records, which note that in just one day Clay and his teacher exchanged 76 text messages.

Did they fear getting caught? "We didn't openly discuss it," the teenager told the "The Today Show's" Matt Lauer. "I guess it was more of, it's over if it ever comes out."

And come out it did. It was forced into the light during an overnight hiking trip involving a small group of students from the suburban Denver charter school.

McCandless, the trip chaperone, Clay, and the other teens shared a cabin.

According to the arrest affidavit, students noticed the pair making out on the floor of the cabin.

One student told investigators he overheard Clay talking about the first time he had sex with McCandless and smoked marijuana with her.

Clay himself told police that he and the teacher drank alcohol, kissed and fondled one another during the trip. In the affidavit he also admits it was not the first time they had "made out."

In October, school administrators were reportedly made aware of concerns that the teacher was having an inappropriate relationship with a Brighton student. But neither the principal of the school, Chris McCandless -- Carrie's husband -- or school board president David Mundy notified authorities. Instead, they called Tommy Clay into the office.

"I told Mrs. McCandless I would take the fault for it," the teen said on "The Today Show." "I didn't want her to lose her job and I figured I had a lot less to lose than she did."

Tommy's parents -- Mark and Sheree Clay -- also appeared on the morning program. "We had a meeting with Mr. Mundy. He just continued to say we need to take Tommy out. 'I have to protect a friendship here … I need to save a marriage,'" said Sheree Clay.

In November, after a local news reporter tipped police, McCandless was fired from her teaching job and arrested.

Larimer County prosecutors have offered her a plea deal, according to defense attorney Michael Trani. The terms of the deal are still being negotiated, and the former teacher's next court appearance is April 24.

David Mundy resigned as school board president and has been charged with felony witness tampering and failure to report child abuse, a misdemeanor. He has denied all charges.

As for Clay, he says the road has been rough. "At first, it was all 'high fives.' A lot of guys showed me a lot more respect. But as we got further into it, I mean, I lost a lot of friends."

After first being asked to leave school, the teen returned for a brief time during which he said other teachers were kind and supportive. But he has since left and will likely be home schooled until graduation later this year.

"He has been hurt.This isn't what people think -- the stereotype that this is every boy's fantasy," said family attorney Gary Fielder, also appearing on "The Today Show."

Fielder says he hopes that telling his story publicly will help Clay's healing process. "This has been a really bad dream for him. Anyone could have been convinced to get into this sexual relationship, that it was done willingly," he said. "But inevitably these relationships will end and that person will be hurt."