KWES NewsWest 9 / Midland, Odessa, Big Spring, TX: newswest9.com | Victim's Family Speaks on Teacher Arrest

Victim's Family Speaks on Teacher Arrest

By: Sarah Snyder
NewsWest 9

A Hobbs teacher charged with touching one of his student's breasts is in hot water, and the victim's family is speaking out.

"She got in the car and said she felt violated," the victim's mother told NewsWest 9. "She said her teacher had grabbed her hands and put them on her breasts."

A Hobbs family tells NewsWest 9, they're just one of several who've had their child victimized by a teacher at Hobbs Freshman. Clifton Golden found himself behind bars after being charged with criminal sexual contact of a minor. He turned himself into Hobbs police, who say, Golden allegedly touched a 14-year-old girl's breasts.

"Through a pretty thorough investigation and interviewing a lot of people and students, one of our detectives was able to get an arrest warrant for criminal sexual contact of a minor," Officer Mike Stone, with the Hobbs Police Department, said.

NewsWest 9 sat down with the parents who say, their daughter's behavior changed the first day she entered his class this semester.

"She did change the way she dressed," the victim's father said. "She was wearing hoodies every day no matter the temperature. [My wife] asked her, 'Why do you dress like that every day instead of wearing these clothes?' She told us he made her very uncomfortable and stared at her chest every time he talked to her."

And now the victim's family says they just want to make sure this doesn't happen again.

"I wish he could have been removed when he made the inappropriate comments to girls and we would have never gotten to this," the victim's mom said. "If this will save some girl down the road from him hurting or doing something worse - it does seem to escalate - then it will be worth it."

NewsWest 9 contacted Mr. Golden, but he refused to comment until the investigation is over. NewsWest 9 learned Golden-who lives in Odessa, taught at Hood Junior High for 3 1/2 years. ECISD officials tell NewsWest 9, he retired this past December - and now drives to Hobbs every day to teach at the freshman school.

Clifton Golden has bonded out of jail. In New Mexico, criminal sexual contact with a minor is a fourth degree felony. If he's convicted, Golden could spend up to 18 months in prison with a lifetime sex offender status.