Former Richmond County school employee terminated from Columbia County library position

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - A former Richmond County school employee hired as Columbia County’s Children’s Library Manager is no longer employed by Columbia County.

County records show Laura Grove was terminated after officials learned she had been on paid administrative leave from Richmond County Schools while under investigation for alleged unprofessional conduct.

Columbia County says neither its library system nor human resources department knew about the allegations or the ongoing state investigation when Grove was hired.

Background check and hiring process

According to county documents, Grove did not disclose that she had been placed on paid administrative leave by the Richmond County School System while allegations of unprofessional conduct were being investigated.

Grove applied for the Columbia County position on July 29, 2025, while still on paid administrative leave from Richmond County. She stated on her application that she was available to work immediately with no mention of her administrative leave status.

Records show Columbia County conducted a background check through the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, which showed no criminal record. Columbia County Library Director Keisha Evans also reviewed Grove’s social media platforms for any favorable or unfavorable information, and none was found. But the documents do not mention a review of her Richmond County personnel file.

Grove was terminated under a clause in her employment paperwork stating that any omission, falsification, misstatement or misrepresentation could disqualify her from employment.

Columbia County investigation findings

Columbia County Human Resources Director conducted an administrative review of the hiring process and interviewed Grove on June 9, 2026.

In an interview with Columbia County, Grove readily admitted she did not inform them of being placed on administrative leave with the Richmond County School Board while being investigated for unprofessional behavior, according to the county report.

Grove stated she felt that since the investigation was ongoing, she did not have to inform the county. She further stated that through advice of counsel, she was told not to disclose information relative to the case to anyone.

Columbia County asked if any of the allegations were true and Grove stated no. Human Resources stated that regardless of Grove’s opinion, the information should have been shared with them at any time during the hiring process.

Grove was terminated on June 10, 2026, at approximately 3 p.m.

District attorney investigation

The allegations are detailed in an investigative case file from the Augusta District Attorney’s Office.

District Attorney Jared Williams said the case was opened and closed on June 2, 2025, because the allegations fell outside the statute of limitations.

The file includes witness statements from two former students, as well as a statement from Grove.

First alleged victim’s statement

One former student said Grove was his middle school teacher at C.T. Walker Magnet School in Augusta when he was in seventh and eighth grade, from 2006 to 2008. He said he was 12 years old at the time.

In his statement, he alleged Grove later initiated an inappropriate personal relationship with him in 2010, when he was 16 and a sophomore at A.R. Johnson.

He said he frequently encountered Grove while meeting his younger siblings at C.T. Walker after school. He alleged Grove began inviting him to spend time with her, beginning with a bookstore trip.

He claimed this escalated to going to her home after school and on weekends. He alleged the nature of the relationship quickly shifted from academic to personal and sexual.

He alleged that in spring 2010, Grove initiated a kissing session, presented as a lesson to teach him how to do it properly. He claimed the relationship escalated to oral sex and intercourse later that year.

He alleged that between 2010 and 2012, while he was still a high school student, Grove and he had frequent sexual interactions, totaling above 50, at her home, his home and on trips. He claimed she often picked him up from school and dropped him off at home after 10 p.m.

He alleged Grove psychologically groomed him by coercing him to distance himself from his peers and high school girlfriend, jealously monitoring his Facebook and email accounts, shaming him for engaging in normal teenage activities and showering him with gifts and opportunities that he would not otherwise be able to afford. He said he had a difficult home life during his high school years and was susceptible to these tactics.

He also claimed an anonymous email was sent to Grove’s principal at C.T. Walker around 2011, describing the alleged inappropriate relationship. He said his sister sent the email. He said he does not know whether this report led to any formal inquiry, but it may be in Grove’s personnel file.

The former student said he submitted his statement to help prevent further harm to students, alleging Grove’s conduct involved grooming, sexual exploitation and abuse of professional authority.

He included an email from Grove dated Dec. 7, 2013, in which she wrote: “I did indeed accept guardianship of you the first day I took you to the bookstore, and I take that role very seriously and will maintain it forever.”

In the email, Grove also wrote: “I have myself so emotionally wrapped up in you that when something goes wrong, I feel it entirely too much, and I get angry and lash out.”

Second alleged victim’s statement

A second former student also submitted a witness statement to the DA’s Office.

He said he met Grove his senior year of high school in 2015-2016. He said she introduced herself under the premise of attempting to convince him to go to a more competitive college than Augusta University.

He alleged Grove initiated an inappropriate relationship with him in 2015. He said she began to share intimate details of her personal life including her sexual orientation and her prior affair with the first alleged victim.

He said he spent time in the library throughout his senior year, and they texted frequently both inside and outside of school hours. He said the conversation slowly began to encompass sexual experiences and his own inexperience sexually with his girlfriend at the time.

He alleged their first sexual encounter occurred in January 2016 in the AV room above the library at A.R. Johnson. He claimed they had sexual intercourse several times a week, both on school grounds and at Grove’s home.

He said the relationship continued throughout the remainder of his senior year and for the greater portion of two years, which included him meeting her family, going on vacations with her and becoming a babysitter for her children.

He alleged Grove psychologically groomed him and pushed him to distance himself from his friends, break up with his girlfriend and generally opposed any intimate relationships he had outside of her. He said she also bought him frequent gifts. He said she was aware of his strained home life, lack of parental guidance and susceptibility to emotional attachment concerning women who filled the role of a mother figure to him.

He said no one from the school raised concerns about his inappropriate relationship with her. He said many teachers would frequently see him in her office throughout the school days but none would question the closeness of their relationship.

The former student said he submitted his statement because he does not want any more students to be victimized by this pattern of grooming, sexual exploitation and abuse of power over susceptible children. He said he has had long-reaching psychological issues surrounding this affair, and he has only recently been capable of discussing it in depth with therapists.

Grove’s response

In Grove’s statement to the DA’s Office, she said she was close with one of the alleged victims but denied having a sexual relationship with him.

Grove said she was called to the principal’s office at C.T. Walker to address concerns in an email. She said the email from the alleged victim’s sister stated that she saw Grove at the mall with a student and did not think it was appropriate. Grove said she explained that she was at the mall with the alleged victim with his mother’s permission. She said she does not recall if she bought him anything on that trip to the mall, but there were certainly times where she would buy him clothes, again, with the permission of his mother.

Grove claimed that first alleged victim moved in with her, her wife and her children, and that he began sexually assaulting her. She said she was afraid she would be blamed and lose her job for having a former student living in her home, so she kept it secret and hoped it would stop.

Grove also wrote that she took the second alleged victim to get a tattoo if he helped take care of her children at the beach. She said her family was going on a trip and he was interested in getting a tattoo from a specific artist there, so she told him he could come if he helped them take care of her kids at the beach. She denied having an inappropriate relationship with him.

Grove said she met the second alleged victim at A.R. Johnson right before he graduated in 2016. She said that summer he got a speeding ticket, and she drove him to the county where it was issued and helped get him a provisional license so that he would still be able to drive to work.

County response

In a statement, the Columbia County Board of Commissioners said: “At the time of the hire, neither the Columbia County library system nor human resources were aware of the allegations or the ongoing investigation.”

The county said once it became aware of the reported allegations and related court filings, Grove was placed on administrative leave.

Richmond County Schools timeline

Richmond County Schools said it received information on June 3, 2025, about allegations of prior inappropriate conduct involving an employee.

The district said that employee was immediately placed on administrative leave while it conducted an internal investigation. Richmond County Schools said its public safety department also worked with local law enforcement.

On Aug. 7, Grove was released from her 2025-2026 contract at her request. The district said the matter was later reported to the Georgia Professional Standards Commission, as required.

That PSC investigation remains ongoing. They tell 12 On Your Side Investigates they cannot provide any further information because the case is open.

Richmond County Schools said it cannot comment further because this remains an active personnel and regulatory matter.

In a statement, the district said: “The safety and well-being of students remain our highest priority.”

The district also said: “Our school system takes all allegations involving employee conduct seriously. When concerns are brought to our attention, they are reviewed promptly and addressed in accordance with district policy and state law.”