Former Dixon School District employee faces allegations of inappropriate relationships with students

On November 16, 2024By Littum

DIXON, Mo. (KY3) – Authorities arrested a former Dixon School District paraprofessional and longtime substitute on charges of inappropriate behavior with at least two students.

Carissa Smith faces 14 counts of statutory sodomy, statutory rape, sexual misconduct involving a child, sex trafficking, patronizing prostitution and endangering the welfare of a child. A judge ordered her bail set at $250,000.

Investigators say the incidents happened from August 2023 to September 2024. They say the victims shared multiple instances of sexual acts performed in multiple locations. Investigators say the victims said Smith traded sexual favors for money, alcohol and marijuana.

Investigators notified the school district. However, she was no longer employed by the district.

The district released this statement to KY3:

I am writing to advise you of a serious matter involving a former Dixon R-1 School District employee, Ms. Carissa Smith. We were unable to share this information with you earlier due to the need to allow law enforcement officials to investigate fully without interference.

Earlier in the school year, the District received a report of possible misconduct from Ms. Smith against at least one District student. This report was shared with the authorities responsible for investigating problems of this nature. We fully cooperated with both the Missouri Children’s Division and law enforcement during their investigations. We have also been in contact with the affected families. This morning I was told that Ms. Smith was arrested and taken into custody by the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office. While the district has not received a copy of the charges, public records show that Ms. Smith was charged with nineteen offenses involving sexual misconduct with a minor. This is very disturbing and upsetting information for everyone in our school community. I want to share with you what steps our school district takes in serious cases like this. Whenever we receive a report of alleged misconduct by an employee involving a student, the administration initiates an investigation into the matter. If the case involves certain types of allegations, we contact the Missouri Children’s Division and we cooperate with the authorities involved. In order to protect everyone involved, the employee is also typically placed on administrative leave during the investigation. Our Board of Education’s policies state our expectations for employee behavior. All employees also participate in annual training on appropriate behavior toward students, including appropriate boundaries between district employees and students. The district also conducts background checks on employees prior to employment. At all times, our school district’s first and foremost mission is to provide the best possible education for our students in a safe and secure environment. Therefore, parents and students should be assured that we are acting and will continue to act in accordance with our policies to resolve this matter and to maintain the safe educational environment that our community deserves and expects. We appreciate the patience of our school community as we move through this process.

If you are concerned about a school employee’s behavior with your child or any other child, you may contact Superintendent Travis Bohrer at 573-759-7163, ext. 1, Missouri Children’s Division at 1-800-392-3738, or Detective Chance Shoecraft with the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department 573-774-6196, ext. 4808.

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