Makaela Caldwell Hodgins, a 32-year-old high school teacher and cheer coach from Alabama, has been indicted by a grand jury on allegations of engaging in sexual relations with a male student. The mother of two was arrested and is currently held on a $30,000 bond, according to court records. The student involved in the case is reportedly under 19 years of age, but his exact age has not been disclosed in the charging documents.
Hodgins, a resident of Woodland, Alabama, has entered a plea of not guilty to the charges. Information regarding her next court appearance has not been released to the public. She began her tenure as a cheer coach at Randolph County High School in Wedowee, Alabama, in 2022, as indicated by a post on the school’s Facebook page.
The Facebook post also revealed that Hodgins is a native of Randolph County and was a cheerleader at Woodland for six years. She obtained her master’s degree in education from the University of West Alabama in May 2022 and also taught at her alma mater, Randolph County High School.
According to the same Facebook post, Hodgins is married to her college sweetheart and they have two children together. Over the past decade, she has been actively involved in various aspects of cheer coaching, including judging try-outs, conducting cheer camps, and choreographing routines.
The Randolph County Sheriff’s Office has not yet responded to requests for comment on the case. John Jacobs, the Superintendent of Randolph County Schools, stated that Hodgins started working for the school system on August 2, 2021, and her last day in the classroom was November 15, 2024. He assured that the school would cooperate with local authorities as needed.