Teacher accused of sexual relationship with student creates disturbance in court
By Jeff Rivenbark - email
CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) - A Huntersville teacher accused of raping a teen girl refused to offer a plea in court Wednesday afternoon and created a big disturbance before being led out of the courtroom.
Ernest Nichols was a coach with Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools and he is accused of raping a 15-year-old girl.
In 2009, Nichols was charged with statutory rape, and several other sex offenses.
In December, a judge rejected Nichols' plea deal, saying it wasn't tough enough. He would have served 15 years in prison for pleading guilty to three charges.
On Wednesday, Nichols was required to re-enter a plea so the case could progress. He was expected to plead 'not guilty,' but refused. He repeatedly yelled out that he didn't understand the long list of charges against him.
He repeatedly said things like, "I'm a living, breathing human being of this earth," and "I'm not a straw man."
Judge Bill Constangy asked the bailiff to restrain Nichols and to make him plead 'guilty' or 'not guilty.'
Nichols refused to cooperate. Once again, he stated that he wasn't a "straw man." He also said he didn't understand the charges against him.
The judge asked Nichols' lawyer to plea for him, but the lawyer also refused, stating that Nichols had instructed him not to plea on his behalf. The lawyer stood silent the whole time except for this comment.
Since Nichols wouldn't offer a plea, the judge stated that the court will consider that, and offer a "not guilty" plea for him. Nichols continued to object to this, as well.
His next hearing is scheduled for April 3rd. For now, all pleas bargains are off the table, according to the prosecuting attorney.
Nichols repeatedly turned around and looked at the people in the courtroom, and the bailiff repeatedly told him to turn back around and face the judge.
The whole ordeal only lasted about three minutes and Nichols was escorted out of the courtroom.
According to a search warrant, Nichols allegedly raped a girl several times during a six-month span which started during the fall of 2008.
During that time, Nichols occasionally watched the girl and another male having consensual sex, the warrant said.
The warrant also stated that Nichols posed as his teenaged son on Facebook and asked the girl to make up sexual stories and made other requests, such as asking her to "text message Nichols whenever she entered the shower."
At least once after the alleged sexual encounters, the warrant also said that Nichols told the teen girl to tell people "she wanted" to have sex, if she were asked about what happened.
Investigators said the incidents happened at Nichols' home in Huntersville. Police said the victim was not a student at the school.
Before police arrested Nichols, the victim's mother confronted Nichols and she claims he called himself a "pig," the warrant stated.
Nichols was a physical education instructor at Ransom Middle School in north Charlotte. He has been employed with the school district for 14 years.
CMS says Nichols is suspended with pay and will not be allowed back onto the school grounds until the investigation is complete.
Nichols is married and has two children.
Copyright 2011 WBTV. All rights reserved.
