Tina Bennett said she had met with administrators last year and reported that a teacher within the Durant Public School system had kissed her daughter.
“If you have a problem, you always report to [a] school employee or superintendent. Well, I reported mine to the assistant superintendent, the problem that we had, and then we had a meeting from there,” said Bennett, who would not release the name of the teacher. “They know who it is. I’ve met with all of them, and they know who it is.”
For the better part of the last month, reports from multiple sources told the Democrat that the teacher in question was Barry Hudson, who also serves as the school’s high school girls basketball coach. Durant attorney Thomas Marcum said he was at the board meeting Monday representing the Hudson family, but “did not hear a name that would have alleged coach Hudson or any other teacher.”
Bennett began her comments to the board, addressing the alleged incident.
“My daughter was 17 years old when her teacher at the high school had intimate physical contact with her and kissed her. He kissed her on school grounds by the bus with no one else around in the late evening hours,” Bennett told board. “This teacher admitted to kissing her in the presence of the administration, following a reporting of this incident. His excuses of why doesn’t matter, and the administrations excuses of her perceiving it wrong doesn’t matter. Nothing has been done to protect my daughter from the daily emotional, physiological stress and psychological manipulation that educated teachers are well-versed if they choose to enact.
“I’m here to ask you, how can we stop school employees from abusing professional status and power of authority to cause emotional distress that is detrimental to our children, and where does Durant Public Schools draw the line for unwarranted sexual advances toward a minor.
“It is never appropriate for a school employee to be kissing their students. This teacher tainted the atmosphere of mutual trust and respect between my daughter and himself. And who can a minor report these types of incidents to and know that they will be protected and that they will have a safe environment to continue to learn. Procedures we took did not create a safe environment for us.
“Environment includes physical and emotional surroundings. Our children deserve a safe, restricted(ive) free environment of equal opportunity to learn and grow. It is too late for you to protect my child from suffering the effects of the teachers’ inappropriate behaviors. She suffers daily with negative reactions and comments of teachers and fellow peers having to take sides.”
Bennett later told the Democrat that she chose to come forward now because “retaliation” against her daughter had intensified over the last few weeks.
She began to choke with emotion as she summed up her statement to the board, “She has lost her senior year and the memories that come with the experiences of that year. Her best friends that this teacher’s still involved with feel that they have to isolate her in front of her teacher or he will retaliate against them. Teachers that used to love (my daughter) won’t talk to her and give her dirty looks, because they are taking sides.
“What can Durant public schools do differently to protect other children from having to endure this environment on a daily basis. Does Durant Public Schools need to be in the news like Marietta and Coleman in order to change policy and procedures with expectations of all teachers? Children do not have a voice, and if you do not believe that, watch T.V. tonight. Today I hope to be the voice for all children in the Durant schools.
“The children’s parents are their voice. This is why I have met with each board member in person and on the phone in regards to the retaliation that has occurred following the sexual advances and physical intimate contact that we reported last year regarding this teacher. Please do the right thing and protect our children. That is all I’m asking.”
Durant Superintendent Jason Simeroth cited privacy issues in addressing the comments.
“Any sort of actions that are taken with school personnel regarding any incident whatsoever ... we are not legally able to disclose,” said Simeroth. “We are not able to share that information publicly. There are things in place, but we can’t divulge any personal information to anyone.
“As far as policies and procedures go, we prefer to speak through our lawyers on those issues.”
Attorney Bryan Drummond, who represents Durant public schools with the Rosenstein, Fist and Ringold law firm, addressed the matter Tuesday morning.
“The school district is aware of the allegations, and the school district conducted a thorough investigation,” said Drummond. “The safety of the students of the school is one of the top priorities of the school district and they do everything they can to protect the students from harm. Every allegation they receive they look into, because they value the students so much.
“The school would be prohibited from releasing any details of any steps it took specifically to anybody because of confidentiality requirements. If policy is changed, that is something that is made public. Whenever you’re dealing with a specific person, that matter is kept private.”
Where or who have they told "storeis" to expect on here? And, you are rightno girl should be made to look bad to get even.
It is quite a possibility that in this day and time that the girl involved is sexually active. By your rules that alone makes her "not innocent". Do you really believe that due to the fact that high school students may have mutually agreed upon sexual relations amongst themselves then it must be okay for a 30 year old man with a wife and children free and clear to try to get in on the action.
You say she put herself in "that situation". The situation was she was on school grounds with a teacher. Next to being at home or church where should she be at that could be safer???
To: kindoffishy? - Why change your screen name from rediculous? The typos, poor verbage and spacing between rants alone give away that yet again you are on here defending this person you supposedly don't know. Did you change names to make it appear there are more people in his corner? You keep going on and on about the police, the lies, and the allegations? Can you PLEASE post a comment about what you would think if it were proven to be true? I realize everyone is innocent until proven guilty, but are you person enough to say what you might say if it turns out that maybe, just maybe, this girl along with others are telling the truth??
I had a grandchild who was inappropriately touched by this teacher and it was reported, four years ago. The police and DAs office referred it to the school system, who took the information but never followed up or even returned a call. I feel that if someone had CARED this wouldn't have happened to so many other young girls. Our only choice was to move her to another school to graduate.
Please, doubters out there, these are true accusations that have been ignored and damaged the victims over and over again.
How come they aren't going to the police if it's not just a fabrication? Anybody can make up any kind of accusation they want as long as they are anonymous.
That person about talking about Panama was just stupidity.
I guess any coach that leaves a smaller class job for a 5A job is only doing it because they are in trouble or something. Surely you're smarter than that.
FYI- It is the working parents who are actually paying teacher salaries, so it is your money not the school district's money. Teachers are in a public service and since they choose this profession it puts them in the public eye. When your serving the public then you have opened yourself to public critique at any time. There are lawyers, judges, state reps, honorable teachers plus more who are parents. Must a parent wait until it happens to their child?? Well, so far every parent may get that chance. It looks like the district has had problems for years in this area. How sad! How many children need to say something before action is taken? This issue has nothing to do with anything but making sure our kids are protected!!! Now is the time for parents to ban together and stand for their children. Where do the parents at Durant Public Schools draw the line?? What are we willing to expose our children too?? Apparently, what we know is probably a very small portion of what is really going on here. Private investigation will give a unbiased report. The children,the teacher and the school district should agree to have this done to clear this matter fairly and prove beyond doubt that our children are safe or are not safe. Should this be done by the district attorney or human services or someone out of state? What parents in Durant have the resources and knowledge to get this done? Do we need to have a special meeting to have this done? Where is our school board on this issue? Are they silent? Children should have more rights in this area than adults. A child's right not to be physically violated should be above an adults right to work. Parents need to see through the clouds and realize that child predators work with children on purpose. Our Oklahoma congress just voted for a law where the public is not able to get a teachers birth date. We already can't get anything else about a teacher to investigate and without a birth date our children are in immediate jeopardy. Oklahoma was on Fox News this year for the politics around letting a subsequent child molester out of jail again. It took Fox news to get him back in jail because our politics have been corrupted. If you have to stand for something then we should at least stand for our children. It is the Parents who protect the children in the schools. Where are the parents who care???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
I went to several games this year, he can't coach his way out of a brown paper bag! He could have let the girls coach and they would have won more games than he did. He is a disgrace to our school and our community, he needs to be gone before he hurts another innocent girl. He admitted to touching her, what if it was your child, what would you do, I know what I would do! He has to go!
....and Dear rediculous, your judgement is worse than your spelling and apparently you are visiting this message board quite frequently to support someone you "don't need to know". I read the article in the paper and it did not seem to be about sports to me. You act as if you have a daughter, you admit to being at several games,and you put this coach you "allegedly" don't know on a pedestal for getting farther than anyone ever. Do you really have the nerve to down another mother for trying to do the right thing by her daughter because you "dang sure" would have done better? Well if your job is to prop this coach up and make him look good you better ask for a raise now because these "accusations" are coming out by more girls daily and you're about to have a full time job. You are truly a "rediculous" joke. You wrote that people should not be naive about beleiving things they read just one paragraph after writing "now someone told me yesterday daughters". That is the definition of gossip!
I support the Bennett family and all the young brave souls willing to step forward as well as those who might be out there who do not have the strenghth of heart or mind to come forward. This is not about ruining a man, making money, or playing sports. It's about what's right and what's wrong. Any time a person uses their power or position to take advantage of the people under him is commiting abuse, whether it is mental, physical or sexual. Abuse of any form can not be tolerated!