Former APS teacher pleads not guilty to abuse of teen girls
Former APS teacher Kenneth Jehle pleaded not guilty Monday to multiple counts of inappropriate conduct with two young teen girls — one a special education student, the other a close relative.
Second Judicial District Court Judge Christina P. Argyres agreed to allow Jehle to reside in Michigan until his trial, provided he makes it to all court dates. He is caring for a sick relative.
Jehle is also prohibited from having unsupervised contact with minors.
After Monday’s proceedings, the mother of one of
Jehle’s alleged victims said she is concerned about the arrangement.
“I am not happy or satisfied that he gets to go back to Michigan,” Nicole Fields told the Journal. “His attorney is here, so how can there be any supervision?”
Fields’ daughter was a teenage special education student when Jehle allegedly touched her legs, bottom and genitals at Taft Middle School. The Journal doesn’t usually identify an alleged victim, but both mother and daughter have spoken publicly about the case.
The Fields got Jehle removed from the classroom in 2013 and filed suit against Albuquerque Public Schools, winning a $750,000 settlement in 2015.
Jehle also was charged with 10 criminal counts for alleged inappropriate conduct with the special education student and a young relative who said her abuse began in 2011 when she was 12 years old. Charges include:
One count of sexual exploitation of children.
Three counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor, third degree, by a person in a position of authority. One count of child abuse. Five counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
The former teacher faces decades in prison if convicted. He declined to comment Monday.
Fields said Jehle is a dangerous man who needs to serve substantial time behind bars.
Fields’ daughter has sought counseling for anxiety and insomnia. Now a high school student, she is still uncomfortable around male teachers and never fully regained her enthusiasm for school, her mother said.
“It’s sick,” Fields said. “He needs to take responsibility for what he has caused.”
Complaints from students and teachers followed Jehle throughout his career at APS.
At Taft, Jehle gave girls stripper names and talked about traveling to Thailand to marry a young bride, then divorcing her “when he grew tired of her,” according to the Fields lawsuit.
He also reportedly complimented a girl’s “a nice bubble butt” in front of her classmates.
In 2002, a student reported that he twisted her arm at Harrison Middle School, though no charges were filed.
A year later, two Harrison employees — a music teacher and a secretary —also complained that he sexually harassed them, pressing for dates, leering and making inappropriate comments.
Both women sued APS and received settlements.