Educator's license pulled amid claims of sexual abuse
Along time Oklahoma superintendent is accused of inappropriate sexual conduct with young children as well as current and former students and staff members, including one staffer who said she received poor evaluations when she rejected his sexual advances.
The state Board of Education voted Thursday to suspend the teaching and superintendent certificates of Peckham Public School Superintendent Gary Young pending a revocation hearing. The allegations against Young are outlined in the state Education Department's application for emergency order to suspend and revoke his certification.
“The department has received multiple sexual misconduct complaints against Young,” Brad Clark, the agency's general counsel, wrote in the application. “These complaints include allegations that Young has sexually assaulted adults and minors, groomed minors for sexual abuse and unfairly compensated teachers in exchange for sexual relationships.”
According to the application, which cites a Blackwell police report, a minor accused Young of sexual assault in 2015, claiming that a “heavily intoxicated” Young approached her and started rubbing her shoulders. He allegedly continued to “rub her, kiss her and then encouraged her to go to the basement with him.”
A former Peck ham staff member claims in the application that Young “started grinding his crotch on me and started moaning” after she told him she was upset about missing her father. Another former staffer said Young gave her poor evaluations when she rebuffed
his sexual advances. A student said she witnessed Young kissing a staff member and later asked the student not to say anything because “it would ruin my life.”
Multiple former Peckham students recounted situations where Young made them feel uncomfortable at his home, according to the application. One former student claims that Young called her and others into his bedroom where he was lying there naked and that “weirded us out because he deliberately called us in there,” the application states.
Multiple agencies in Kay County are investigating the allegations against Young, who has not been criminally charged. Attempts to reach the superintendent Friday were not successful.
Clark said Young and Peck ham School Board President Kim Case have received copies of the state board's order.
“That will not permit him to be around schoolchildren or children on school property from that point forward,” Clark said following Thursday's vote.
Said state schools Superintendent Joy Hofmeister following the vote: “We are in contact with law enforcement and with those who are protecting children.”
“These complaints include allegations that Young has sexually assaulted adults and minors, groomed minors for sexual abuse and unfairly compensated teachers in exchange for sexual relationships.” Brad Clark, general counsel for the state Education Department