COVINGTON, TN (abc24.com) - Seven teens who claim they were raped by a Tipton County teacher will have to wait longer for their day in court.
Cindy Clifton's trial was scheduled to begin at the end of April, but in a March 1st court appearance the judge delayed it.
Clifton was indicted in November 2011 on 25 counts of statutory rape from seven different teenage boys. Eleven teens say the teacher gave them alcohol.
Clifton's husband, mother and brother all joined her in the courtroom for her status hearing. Her lawyer, Blake Ballin, says, "She's been on pins and needles over the past couple months, as it would with anybody, it effects your mental health being in limbo. But she has the support of her family and friends and she's relying on them."
Ballin told the judge he hasn't received several documents from the State needed for trial, including victim statements, phone records and forensic reports. The judge moved the trial to August 6, 2012.
Clifton was a reading teacher at Crestview Middle School in Covington when the charges surfaced. Her alleged victims range in age from 14 to 17 years old.
Clifton is out of jail on a $40,000 bond. She had worked at Crestview since 2002; she was taken off the job after the charges surfaced.
