ARNOLDSBURG — A Calhoun County Commissioner and elementary school teacher has been charged with 50 counts of sexual abuse following allegations that he abused a juvenile family member over several years.
Jacob Daniel McCumbers, 39, of Arnoldsburg, was arrested Sept. 13 and charged with sexual abuse by a parent, guardian, custodian or person in a position of trust, according to a criminal complaint filed in Calhoun County Magistrate Court.
The charges stem from a forensic interview in which the alleged victim, a juvenile relative, told investigators that the abuse occurred multiple times a week over a span of eight or nine years, beginning when the child was under the age of 10. The complaint also states that McCumbers allegedly threatened to harm the child if the abuse was reported.
McCumbers waived his preliminary hearing Wednesday to allow time to obtain legal counsel. During the hearing, authorities also served a warrant for his DNA.
He is currently free on a $100,000 bond and under home confinement, a magistrate court official confirmed. A second preliminary hearing is scheduled for Oct. 20.
According to the Calhoun County Schools website, McCumbers is listed as a first-grade and science teacher at Arnoldsburg Elementary School. He was elected to the Calhoun County Commission in 2024.
In a statement, Calhoun County Schools Superintendent Michael Fitzwater said McCumbers was “immediately removed from the classroom when law enforcement initiated an investigation,” in compliance with state law.
“Appropriate personnel action will continue to be taken,” Fitzwater said, adding that confidentiality laws prevent the school system from commenting further on the status of McCumbers’ employment.
McCumbers is not currently in the classroom, and the West Virginia Department of Education has been notified. Fitzwater said the department is expected to take “appropriate steps,” which could include the immediate suspension of McCumbers’ teaching license pending the outcome of the criminal case.
