Shocking allegations emerge from Morgan County schools
A chilling case of abuse has rocked Indiana, where a former math teacher stands accused of orchestrating horrific sexual crimes against minors. Brittany Fortinberry, a 31-year-old married educator who once taught at two Morgan County schools, allegedly coerced boys as young as 13 into group sex while wearing masks inspired by the horror movie “Scream,” according to court documents obtained by WTHR.
Fortinberry now faces a slew of charges, including rape, sexual assault, and child molestation, stemming from her alleged abuse of at least 10 minors. The revelations have stunned the community and raised urgent questions about oversight in schools.
A pattern of predation
The details laid out in court filings paint a grim picture of manipulation and terror. One victim told police that Fortinberry spent $600 on him and a group of boys, forcing them to don the eerie “Scream” masks and engage in sexual acts at her home. She allegedly sweetened the deal with cash offers, promising between $100 and $800 for explicit photos of their genitals.
The abuse didn’t stop at coercion. Court documents reveal Fortinberry provided drugs to her victims, using substances to incapacitate them. In one harrowing instance, she reportedly drugged a teen multiple times before assaulting him. Another victim recounted how she waited until her own children were asleep before initiating sexual contact, while a third alleged she assaulted him after luring him to her home under the pretense of babysitting.
When resistance surfaced, the former teacher allegedly turned violent. “Just let it happen,” she reportedly told the boys as she raped them, according to one teen’s account.
Threats and cover-ups
Fortinberry’s alleged reign of terror extended beyond physical acts. She is accused of threatening suicide to silence her victims, a tactic that kept many from coming forward until a Department of Child Services investigation cracked the case open. One parent dropped a bombshell, claiming Fortinberry’s husband was complicit—allegedly threatening to “slaughter” a teen in her presence if he spoke out.
The teacher relied on digital tools to groom her victims, sending nude and explicit images via Snapchat. Her attempts to deflect blame were equally audacious; in an earlier case, she attributed her behavior to a recent 68-kilogram weight loss, a defense that failed to sway authorities.
Escalating legal consequences
The walls are closing in on Fortinberry. On Tuesday, prosecutors tacked on new charges—molestation of a minor, dissemination of harmful material, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and sexual misconduct—building on earlier counts from February that included three instances of sexual misconduct and one dissemination charge. The mounting evidence has prompted a push to hike her bond from $20,000 to $150,000, as reported by The New York Post.
A community in crisis
The case has sent shockwaves through Morgan County, where Fortinberry once held a position of trust. Parents and guardians, many of whom were blindsided by the abuse, are now grappling with the betrayal. As the legal process unfolds, this disturbing saga underscores the vulnerabilities minors face—even in the places meant to protect them.
