KY physical ed teacher accused of student relationship www.privateofficer.com

LOUISVILLE, KY Aug 5 2009 (WAVE) – A physical education teacher and girls basketball coach at Butler High School has been fired for allegedly having an inappropriate relationship with a student. He’s also accused of accepting money from students so they could skip physical activities or have their grades changed.
Coach Michael “Eddy” Wilson taught physical education and coached girls basketball at Butler High School for several years with a good record, but recently, JCPS records indicate parents began coming forward with allegations they were hearing from their children about a relationship between Wilson and an unidentified student.
Parents and students registering for classes at Butler Monday were shocked by the allegations. “Teachers, in my perspective, are there to teach me, not to do anything more,” said Tachae Sowell, an incoming freshman at Butler.
“It’s sickening, and it’s scary too,” said Thereasa Sowell, Tachae’s grandmother.
After reviewing the complaints, JCPS spokeswoman Lauren Roberts said school officials conducted an investigation.
“We did, after reviewing records and evidence, confirm that there was indeed an improper relationship with the student,” Roberts said. “I know everyone is asking does that mean there was a sexual relationship – we were not able to verify that. But there was indeed, based on phone records, an inappropriate relationship under way between the two of them.”
And according to cell phone records, the student and Wilson exchanged more than 555 text messages and calls totaling more than 5,000 minutes from December 2008 to April 2009 – and many of those calls and texts were after midnight.
JCPS’s investigation also revealed that Wilson allegedly took the student on a ski trip to Paoli Peaks in Paoli, Indiana, and that the two reportedly spent a lot of time together after school hours.
The investigation took an unexpected twist, Roberts says, because “students were being charged $3 to not participate in some activities such as running; and then in a couple of cases, there were some students who said their grades were improved based on paying. At least 100 students were able to tell us they paid money or had knowledge of others who tried to get out of class.”
According to the investigation, school officials found over $1,000 in Wilson’s desk. Wilson said he was going to use the money to pay the basketball team’s expenses.
Students registering for Butler told us they’re relieved Wilson won’t be there this year.
“I like gym, and I don’t want a teacher looking at me that way,” Sowell said. “I don’t’ like that type of attention from an adult.”
In a statement given by Wilson to JCPS, he said that he was just being a mentor to that student.
Wilson was hired at Butler in 2003, and had no previous disciplinary problems or complaints before being fired last week.
JCPS has notified Child Protective Services about the issue.

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