Ninnekah Public Schools to Pay $7.5 Million in Settlement Agreement

Ronald Adkins 2021(Grady County Sheriffs Office photo)

GRADY COUNTY, OKLA. (KOKH) — Ninnekah Public Schools (NPS) agreed to pay a $7.5 million settlement agreement to resolve a lawsuit involving 14 girls who claimed there was inappropriate conduct with a former school employee.

NPS said in a press release that before the lawsuit came out, former basketball coach Ronald Akins was charged with criminal misconduct and pleaded guilty in August 2023 to 10 felony counts involving former students.

According to court records, those 10 counts included:

1. Sexual Battery (Felony)
2. Sexual Battery (Felony)
3. Rape By Instrumentation (Felony)
4. Rape By Instrumentation (Felony)
5. Lewd Or Indecent Acts To Child Under 16 (Felony)
6. Lewd Or Indecent Acts To Child Under 16 (Felony)
7. Lewd Or Indecent Acts To Child Under 16 (Felony)
8. Lewd Or Indecent Acts To Child Under 16 (Felony)
9. Sexual Battery (Felony)
10. Attempted Rape – 1st Degree (Felony)

The school district denied any liability to the plaintiffs in the lawsuit but said it has a duty to its students, employees, and taxpayers to act as a good steward of the public funds it oversees.

On Wednesday, Sept. 18, a judge ordered the district to pay $1.5 million to Nix Patterson, LLP within 30 days of the order being filed, and $6 million out of the district’s sinking funds over 3 years.

Each party will bear its own attorney fees and costs.

Read the school’s full press release and the settlement approval below.