An Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE) employee who once chaired an anti-abortion group in the state has been fired after being arrested last week on child sex-abuse charges.
Marty Decole "Cole" Wagner, was indicted by a Montgomery grand jury on June 30, according to the Alabama Political Reporter. He is accused of subjecting a child under the age of 12 to "sexual contact."
Sexual abuse of a child under the age of 12 is a Class B felony in Alabama and carries a penalty of between two and 20 years in prison. It also carries a potential fine of up to $30,000.
Wagner has since been fired by the ALSDE, where he worked in government relations.
"The allegations against Mr. Wagner are serious, tragic and shocking," the department said in a statement to the Reporter. "While he was employed by our department for only a few months, Mr. Wagner has been terminated effective immediately. No further information is available at this time as the investigation is ongoing."
After being arrested, Wagner was released on a $60,000 bond. It was not clear if he had an attorney who could speak on his behalf.
Newsweek contacted Wagner for comment via his LinkedIn page on Monday.
Wagner was previously the chair of the Alliance for a Pro-Life Alabama, a group formed to support a constitutional amendment saying there was no right to abortion in the state.
According to the Reporter, his role at the education department involved working with Republican lawmakers and conservative organizations to fundraise and attract sponsorship.
Wagner told the Reporter in September 2018 that the "pro-life" committee is "tasked with educating voters about the constitutional amendment and providing them with accurate and truthful information while, at the same time, refuting falsehoods and misinformation that may be disseminated by pro-abortion forces within the state."
Wagner's LinkedIn profile has been updated to show that he is available for work. The page says he worked for the ALSDE between February and July 2023.
He shared a photo of himself on LinkedIn shaking hands with Eric Mackey, the Alabama state superintendent, to announce his new job six months ago.
"I'm happy to share that I'm starting a new position in Government Relations at Alabama State Department of Education!" Wagner wrote alongside the photo. "Looking forward to helping Eric Mackey and his team serve Alabama students, teachers, and education administrators!" He added hashtags to the post including #EveryChild.
According to the LinkedIn page, Wagner was the executive director of the Alliance for a Pro-Life Alabama between 2018 and 2019. The page lists roles with the Alabama lieutenant governor's office and at Cygnal, a polling firm, in recent years.
