Thursday, January 23, 2025

Carl Junction R-1 Board releases statement on Craig Smith controversy


 (From the Carl Junction R-1 Board of Education)

STATEMENT FROM BOARD OF EDUCATION
Carl Junction Schools

We understand our community has questions about the recent arrest of a former employee of Carl Junction Schools. Most questions have centered around what information the District had and when. This statement is intended to provide clarification about those questions and to foster transparency with our community.

• On August 30, 2024, the District was notified by law enforcement about a report that had been made against the employee for stalking a student who attends the high school. There was no information shared with the District suggesting that stalking was occurring during the school day or at school activities. 

There was also no mention of anything pertaining to possession of child pornography. Because the report involved a current student, the employee was immediately placed on leave and has not been on school property again to the District’s knowledge.







 
• Several years prior to the notice received on August 30, 2024, certain classroom practices by the employee were addressed by the administration. Those practices included allowing his son and other students to eat lunch in his office. None of these practices were terminable or criminal, but he was instructed to not allow these activities to occur.
 
• On October 22, 2024, the District was contacted regarding the status of law enforcement’s stalking investigation. Law enforcement provided a description of some of the text messages the employee had sent to the student. 

The text messages violated Board policy with respect to maintaining appropriate boundaries in communications with students. There was no mention of anything pertaining to possession of child pornography. The District began the process of seeking the employee’s termination. The employee resigned his position prior a termination hearing occurring.

• In January 2025, the former employee was criminally charged with stalking and possession of child pornography. According to police, the two charges are unrelated, and none of the pornographic images involve students. 

Prior to this time, the District had no knowledge about possession of child pornography by the former employee. According to law enforcement, the former employee did not search for or download pornographic images using District technology devices. Rather, the images were transferred to a school laptop from an external device.








We recognize that questions arise when a former employee is criminally charged for such offenses, and we share in your concern. The safety and security of our children continues to be our utmost priority. You have our assurances that we will continue to be diligent in assessing our systems, policies and procedures to ensure we have effective security measures in place to protect our children. 

In the meantime, we will continue to support the individuals impacted by this situation. Thank you for your trust in us, and we look forward to growing stronger together through this experience.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

The start of the last sentence “thank you for your trust in us.” Nope. Not anymore. Trust has been broken and cannot continue until the entirety of this board resigns effectively immediately.

Anonymous said...

Unfortunately a young lady is the victim. Weeding through these comments it would seem that most could care less about the victim and only want to spread hate or have their own agenda (not all…some) All I have seen is a retired teacher and his daughter spread disdain by feeding hate through themselves and they are also preying on people to do the dirty work of spreading false information. At least the school released what they say is factual. We don’t know if it is or isn’t but at least they put a timeline out there. I have yet to see one smoking gun (a copy of an email, a parent that said they had a meeting with an administrator, something) that shows the school knew anything earlier. Yes I’ve heard the rumors and the hate that is spread, but no proof. If you say that teachers and staff knew for 6 years then why wasn’t it hot lined? Aren’t they all mandated reporters? Ask the retired teacher that keeps spreading hate with his friends why he didn’t hot line it, he supposedly knew this was going on. Good luck CJ, looks like a lot of glass houses.

Anonymous said...

Students have been commenting and saying they have complained about this teacher and no one listened - do we call the students a liar? Do we just not believe 13 year olds?

Anonymous said...

Who complained? What did they complain about. Who did they complain too? Somewhere there should be proof if all these people complained. You will say the school covered it up. Ok the person reporting should have proof. All I am saying is enough with the hearsay. Someone show me proof of an email, a phone call, a written message, something. There has to be something. If the parents knew for 6 years why didn’t they move hell or high water to make something happen. Why did they wait to talk to the authorities until August of this year? I’m not on anyone’s side, yet. I base my decision on facts and have yet to see any. Don’t you think with all of these complaints, for 6 years, that somewhere somehow someone, even students, would have proof they made a complaint?

Anonymous said...

The next CJ board meeting is Monday January 27 at 6:15 PM in the instructional services center. Show up and let your voice be heard.

Anonymous said...

9:25PM - Did the Students complain to the Administration or to their Parents, or to Each Other or on a Social Media Platform?

If the complaints where to the Administration or to the Teachers, then their Admin's and Teacher's feet need to be held to the fire and was it documented, or did they just blow them off?

Again, this is terrible tragic situation, which no child should have to endure. Hopefully this child gets whatever help she need to try and overcome, and that Craig Smith is locked up to never stalk or hurt anymore children as well as any pedophile, domestic abuser, stalker or bully.

Moral of Story try and protect your child and if rumors of any type of wrong doing - abuse-verbal or physical, bullying, intimidation, stalking, threats - anything - do not hesitate - take action - to report it to the proper authorities - do not hesitate!

Anonymous said...

People don't believe girls and women that's why it was allowed to go on. Look at comments on here for prior sex crimes. Randy allows all manner of victim blaming commentary which girls and women see and learn to keep their months shut.
Wait til yall learn they hired a coach from riverton who was credibly accused of sexual impropriety but was allow to quit. He has gone to c.j. so, there's another on the loose.

Anonymous said...

People don’t believe women? Ok, what did you do, who did you talk to, when did this happen? If this happened show everyone. Show up to the board meeting and I will stand arm in arm with you and support you. If your daughter was being stalked and was sent almost a 1,000 text and whatever else, as soon as you found out about it would you have waited 6 years? Do you think some massive conspiracy took place that the parents kept quiet, numerous teachers and admin knew, did nothing, didn’t hot line (with the risk of going to jail) all to hide this. Come on!!! I’m not saying something was mishandled, just saying show me the proof.

Anonymous said...

8:08 I support your comment. I’m aware of the situation on that individual. There is yet another in the district at this time who was also dismissed from a previous district and CJ took him also.

Anonymous said...

Who is the teacher from Riverton that's at CJ now? I'm tired of just seeing comments thrown out and no names. Parents with kids need to know if the school isn't doing anything

Anonymous said...

I’m confident when I say the district is NOT doing its due diligence on checking backgrounds. Either that or the previous school district where the teachers worked refused to file changes and accepted their resignation instead and left it for the next district to deal with. Riverton was the previous stop for one, Columbus is the other one.

Anonymous said...

Teachers much like Doctors, Dentists, Lawyers, can be Sanctioned or their Licensed Pulled in One State and somehow just go across State Lines and Open up Shop again. We really need a National Registry of Professional Licenses, Teachers, Doctors, Dentist, Lawyers, Etc., - so that One Database can be Searched and Help Stop - these Types of Abuses.