CULLMAN, Ala. – What began as an internal school system complaint involving then-Cold Springs High School teacher and head girls’ basketball coach Paige Parker Adams has become a 32-count criminal case, a pending constitutional challenge and a closely watched pretrial fight over how Alabama’s school employee sex offense statutes apply under the facts alleged.
Adams, 35, is charged in Cullman County Circuit Court with one count of school employee engaging in a sex act with a student, a Class B felony; one count of school employee engaging in sexual contact with a student, a Class C felony; and 30 counts of distributing or soliciting obscene material to or from a student, each a Class A misdemeanor, according to court records.
Adams has pleaded not guilty. All charges are allegations. She is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
The case is pending before Circuit Judge Emily N. Johnston under case number CC-2026-000182.00.
The resignation
The case first became public March 25, when the Cullman County Board of Education accepted Adams’ resignation during a special-called meeting.
At the time, Adams had just completed her first season as head coach of the Cold Springs Lady Eagles basketball program. The team reached the Final Four under Adams.
Cullman County Schools said in a statement after the meeting that the board had accepted and approved Adams’ resignation from her employment at Cold Springs High School.
The following day, Superintendent Dr. Shane Barnette said the resignation followed a formal complaint.
“This is the first formal complaint I have received regarding this employee. As soon as the concern was brought forward, an investigation was immediately initiated. The employee chose to resign at that time. In accordance with standard procedure, all CCBOE materials were returned, and she was escorted from school property. The matter has been referred to the appropriate authorities, and I promptly called a board meeting to approve her resignation,” Barnette said at the time.
“Our sole focus is protecting the students of Cullman County Schools. We are going to do what is right, as we always have.”
Barnette later told The Tribune the school system was still reviewing the situation internally when Adams resigned.
“When suspicions arose, we began an internal investigation, and the teacher resigned,” Barnette said. “At that point, the matter was turned over to authorities.”
Barnette said there was no argument or altercation when Adams left the school.
“There was no argument or altercation,” Barnette said. “She was aware that the investigation was continuing.”
Barnette said standard procedures were followed after the resignation, including the return of school property.
“When any employee resigns, they are required to turn in all school property, including badges, keys and access materials,” Barnette said. “She no longer has access to any school facilities.”
At the time, Cullman County Sheriff Matt Gentry also confirmed the matter was under investigation.
“We have been made aware of the recent resignation of a Cullman County school employee. The circumstances surrounding the resignation are under investigation. We will consult the Cullman County District Attorney’s Office and will provide more information at the appropriate time,” Gentry said.
No charges had been announced when the resignation became public.
The indictment and arrest
The case moved into the court system in April.
A Cullman County grand jury returned an indictment April 17. A warrant was issued April 20. Adams was arrested April 21. Court records list her bond at $225,000 property bond.
The indictment charges Adams with 32 counts.
Count 1 alleges that, on or about Feb. 23, 2026, Adams, while employed by the Cullman County Board of Education, engaged in sexual intercourse or sodomy with a student under the age of 19.
Count 2 alleges that, on or about Feb. 23, 2026, Adams, while employed by the Cullman County Board of Education, engaged in sexual contact with a student under the age of 19.
Counts 3-32 allege distributing or soliciting obscene material to or from a student. The dates listed in those counts range from Feb. 13 through March 16.
The public court records reviewed by The Tribune do not identify the student.
Adams’ case was filed in Cullman County Circuit Court on April 22. Court records show the case was assigned to Johnston. Defense attorneys Trent Lowry and Jeremy Cline entered appearances in late April.
The plea and pretrial schedule
On May 22, the court entered an order noting Adams, through counsel, had filed a written waiver of arraignment and pleaded not guilty.
The court granted discovery under Rule 16 of the Alabama Rules of Criminal Procedure and set a status review for Sept. 16, at 9 a.m.
No trial date has been set in the court documents reviewed by The Tribune.
The defense motion to dismiss
Before the not-guilty plea was formally entered by the court, Adams’ attorneys filed a motion May 21 asking Johnston to dismiss the indictment and declare Alabama Code sections 13A-6-81, 13A-6-82(a) and 13A-6-82.1(a)(2) unconstitutional as applied to the facts of the case.
The defense does not argue that the statutes are always unconstitutional. Instead, the motion argues the statutes are unconstitutional as applied to Adams under the specific facts alleged.
According to the defense motion, Adams was employed as a teacher at Cold Springs High School in the Cullman County Schools system. The motion states the alleged victim was 18 and was a student at another high school in the same school system.
The defense argues Adams was never employed at the school the alleged victim attended and was never in a position of educational or scholastic extracurricular authority over the alleged victim.
The defense motion states that, as charged and as applied, the statutes violate the Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The motion cites Lawrence v. Texas and Alabama appellate cases involving school employee sexual offense statutes.
“The Defendant’s argument is not that the statutes are always unconstitutional; it is that, under these particular circumstances, the statutes operate unconstitutionally because they reach beyond the State’s legitimate interest in preventing exploitation by those ‘holding positions of authority or influence at a school’ over students,” the motion states.
The defense asks the court to dismiss the indictment.
Those claims are defense arguments. The court has not ruled on them.
The court has set a briefing schedule on the motion. The state must file any written response by July 22. The defense may file any reply by July 29. A hearing on the motion is set for Aug. 12, at 2:30 p.m.
The state’s 404(b) notice
The state has also filed notice that it intends to seek permission to use additional evidence under Alabama Rule of Evidence 404(b).
Rule 404(b) generally concerns evidence of other alleged acts or wrongs that prosecutors may seek to introduce for limited purposes, such as motive, intent, plan, knowledge, absence of mistake or pattern. Such a notice does not mean the court has admitted the evidence, and it does not mean the allegations have been proven.
In the May 29 filing, District Attorney Champ Crocker said the state intends to introduce evidence for limited purposes under Rule 404(b), including motive, intent, plan, knowledge, absence of mistake or pattern.
In the filing, prosecutors allege Adams “groomed the victim in this case by showering her with money and gifts over a 10 month period.”
The state alleges that between May 16, 2025, and March 24, 2026, Adams sent the alleged victim $3,620 through Cash App. Prosecutors said some of the transactions included descriptions such as heart emojis, smiling emojis, “lunch on me,” “coffee” and “shoes.”
The filing also alleges Adams paid for the alleged victim to accompany her to concerts, restaurants and overnight hotel stays.
The state’s filing also references an alleged 2024 incident involving another female, identified in the filing as Jane Doe #1. Prosecutors allege Cullman police responded to a civil disturbance at McDonald’s on Aug. 14, 2024, involving Adams and the other woman.
According to the state’s filing, Adams told police the two were “only friends,” while the other woman reported they were involved in a sexual or dating relationship.
The state further alleges Adams later followed the woman home after the two were separated. The filing alleges the woman called 911 and Adams left before police arrived.
Those statements are allegations contained in the state’s court filing. They are not findings by the court.
The sexual motivation filing
The state also filed an allegation of sexual motivation under Alabama Code 15-20A-6.
In that filing, prosecutors state that sufficient admissible evidence exists that would justify a finding of sexual motivation by a reasonable and objective jury. The state asks that, upon any conviction, the jury return a special verdict on whether Adams committed the acts with sexual motivation.
That filing is also an allegation. No jury has made such a finding.
Where the case stands now
The next major step in the case is Adams’ motion to dismiss.
The state’s response is due July 22. The defense reply is due July 29. The hearing is set for Aug. 12, at 2:30 p.m.
A separate status review remains set for Sept. 16, at 9 a.m.
The case now turns on two tracks. Prosecutors are pursuing the 32-count indictment and have filed notice of additional evidence they intend to seek permission to use. The defense is challenging whether the statutes can constitutionally be applied under the facts it says are present in this case, including the alleged victim’s age and the defense claim that Adams worked at a different school and had no educational or extracurricular authority over the alleged victim.
The Tribune has requested comment from Adams’ attorneys and the Cullman County District Attorney’s Office. This story will be updated if responses are received.
Timeline
March 25: The Cullman County Board of Education accepts Adams’ resignation during a special-called meeting.
March 26: Cullman County Schools confirms the resignation followed a formal complaint and says the matter has been referred to authorities. Sheriff Matt Gentry confirms the circumstances surrounding the resignation are under investigation.
April 17: A Cullman County grand jury returns an indictment against Adams.
April 20: A warrant is issued. Bond is set at $225,000 property bond.
April 21: Adams is arrested.
April 22: The case is filed in Cullman County Circuit Court and assigned to Johnston.
Late April: Defense attorneys enter appearances.
May 21: The defense files a motion to dismiss the indictment and to declare the statutes unconstitutional as applied.
May 22: The court enters an order noting Adams has waived arraignment and pleaded not guilty. Discovery is granted. A Sept. 16 status review is set.
May 26: The court orders additional briefing and oral argument on the defense motion to dismiss. The hearing is set for Aug. 12.
May 29: The state files notice of intent to use 404(b) evidence and files an allegation of sexual motivation.
July 22: The state’s written response to the motion to dismiss is due.
July 29: The defense reply is due.
Aug. 12: Hearing on the motion to dismiss is set for 2:30 p.m.
Sept. 16: Status review is set for 9 a.m.
For Cullman County Schools, the case began as an internal concern, an immediate investigation and a resignation. For law enforcement and prosecutors, it became a 32-count criminal case. For the defense, it is now a constitutional challenge to how Alabama’s school employee sex offense statutes apply under the facts alleged.
For now, Adams remains charged, on bond, presumed innocent and awaiting the court’s next ruling.
