Teacher sexual misconduct is nothing new in Oklahoma

"One of Oklahoma's most wanted fugitives turned himself in last week after nearly 30 years on the run," the News on 6 reports. 

Gary Boergermann was working street crimes for the Tulsa Police Department back in 1987 when he and his partner first arrested Ronald Lyons at his Tulsa home near 11th and Harvard. "We got an anonymous tip that there was a Broken Arrow school teacher possibly selling drugs to students,” said Boergermann. “And we ran him and he happened to have a traffic warrant for his arrest." 

Boergerman and his partner knocked on the door to question Lyons. They say they saw drugs on the coffee table and got permission to search the rest of the house. During their search, they say they found more drugs and nude photos of some of his students.

"Back then they were old Polaroid pictures and they had all the dates on the film," said Boergermann.

Boergerman said it took a lot of time to identify the girls from Broken Arrow School yearbooks and gather information on the case. ... Tulsa Police Department spent many hours trying to get some of the students to talk but many of them didn't want to, including Melody Teague, who investigators believe hung herself in fear that she would be called to testify against Lyons.

"She said ‘I don’t want to talk about it,’ ‘I said why?’ She said ‘he'll know.’ I said “What do you mean he will know?’ ‘She said he knows everything.’"

Boergermann said they were never able to connect Teague’s death to Lyons. "We were never to put that case with him or any of the charges you know because he didn't force her to do it,” said Boergermann. “I just think she just felt so bad and guilty that she did." ... 

"Whether he's had a real terrible 30 years or a real great 30 years, that’s no concern he still needs to do his 9 years,” said Boergermann. “He hurt too many kids back in the day."

How is this for a sweet deal?

"Allegedly commit a fireable offense on the job, and as part of a 'resignation agreement,' get paid nearly a full year's worth of your considerable salary."

Former Oklahoma teacher charged with second-degree rape

KFOR has the story.

Tulsa Public Schools agrees to settle civil suit involving sexual assault

"Tulsa Public Schools has agreed to a $35,000 settlement in a civil suit filed by the victim of an alleged 2015 student-on-student sexual assault on a TPS bus," the Tulsa World reports.

Rape charge added in alleged Oklahoma teacher-student relationship

The Stillwater News-Press has the story.

Lawsuit: Perry school officials failed to report abuse

"The parents of 15 girls who said they were molested by a teacher's aide are suing Perry school officials for damages," The Oklahoman reports.

"The Perry Board of Education had many opportunities to resolve these matters and instead chose to ignore these innocent victims," said attorney Cameron Spradling, who is representing the plaintiffs. "The Perry Board of Education has failed its community and its taxpayers."

Parental breakups and student performance

Bryce J. Christensen and Nicole M. King discuss interesting new research from Dutch scholars.

Bullied student was told ‘God made a mistake’

Nine-year-old Mahkenzee Kennedy has started an anti-bullying campaign at Sulphur Intermediate School, KFOR reports.

In tears, she shared, "I was bullied. I was called fat." ... 

"She started hating school. Nobody would play with her. Up until a few months ago, she wouldn't even eat lunch, even though I would make it because she didn't want to eat alone. She's afraid to join a group in fear of rejection. It's hard for her," said her mom Teena Kennedy. ... "It was really rough when your kid is 6 or 7 and others are saying God made a mistake and they would rather not be alive, that's hard to hear as a mom. No child should ever feel that way."

Oklahoma’s ESSA plan is more of the same

It's all about "dumping truckloads of money into expensive programs with no proven or even probable relationship to education outcomes," Greg Forster writes.

Slowing the use of seclusion rooms

Good column today by Oklahoma state Rep. Bobby Cleveland.

Autistic student’s lawsuit against Ardmore nears its end

The Ardmoreite has the story.

Oklahoma principal lauds four-day school week

Rick Grimes, principal of Boswell Public Schools in southeastern Oklahoma, says the four-day school week has saved money, increased student and teacher attendance, and boosted test scores.

Davis High School teacher fired after filing for marriage license with her 16-year-old student

The British tabloids have the story.