Lifetime’s ‚Abducted by My Teacher: The Elizabeth Thomas Story‘ is ripped from the headlines, but is it based on a true story? Here’s what we know about the real story behind the Elizabeth Thomas movie, and where Elizabeth Thomas is now.
That tearing sound you hear is coming from Lifetime, as they rip a whole new batch of headlines for their upcoming slate of movies. First up is Abducted by My Teacher: The Elizabeth Thomas Story, a thriller starring Summer Howell and Michael Fishman. It’s the latest movie from executive producer Elizabeth Smart, whose own story of survival inspired the Lifetime movie I Am Elizabeth Smart.
As with many Lifetime movies, Abducted by My Teacher proclaims to be based on true events — but what really happened to Elizabeth Thomas? Here’s what we know.
Oh yes, Abducted by My Teacher: The Elizabeth Thomas Story is absolutely based on a true story.
When 15-year-old Elizabeth Thomas entered Culleoka Unit School in Culleoka, Tennessee (pop. 5,000) for the 2016/2017 school year, she had no idea that she was about to be targeted by her 50-year-old health sciences teacher. Tad Cummins reached out to Thomas, acting as a kind of mentor while in reality grooming Thomas for something much darker. Thomas noticed that Cummins was staring at her during class and their text exchanges started to become increasingly lewd. Thomas’ father noted that Cummins would often take Thomas out to eat; Thomas claimed that Cummins threatened to retaliate via bad grades if she didn’t go along with it.
Then another student saw Cummins kiss Thomas at the high school in January 2017 and local authorities became involved. Both teacher and student denied any wrongdoing (although prosecutors in Cummins’ eventual trial claimed that he had sex with Thomas at the school multiple times). Cummins was then suspended from his job, and that’s when the getaway plans were set in motion.
Five weeks later — March 13, 2017 — he told his wife at the time that he was leaving for a job interview… and instead ran away with two guns, $4500, two prescription refills of the erectile dysfunction drug Cialis, and also Elizabeth Thomas.
