Search warrant served at former superintendent’s home
Ponca City Now - September 13, 2019 12:54 pm
Gary Young
BLACKWELL — Members of the District 8 Task Force, the Kay County Sheriff’s Office and the Blackwell Police Department have been serving a search warrant at the home of former Peckham School Superintendent Gary Young this morning, Sheriff Steve Kelley confirmed.
Kelley said the search warrant was written by the task force and he was not familiar with the content of the warrant. He said his office was assisting the Task Force.
Another search warrant was served Sept. 5 at the Peckham School. According to a story in The Oklahoman, investigators seized computers, documents and cell phones from the school district’s office during that search.
The Peckham School District is west of Newkirk and has about 100 students from Pre-K to 8th grade.
Young, the longtime superintendent of Peckham School District, is accused of inappropriate sexual conduct with young children as well as with current and former students and staff members, including one staffer who said she received poor evaluations when she rejected his sexual advances.
Young was suspended from his job after the State Board of Education voted Aug. 22 to suspend his teaching and superintendent certificates pending a revocation hearing. The allegations against Young are outlined in the state Department of Education’s application for an emergency order to suspend and revoke his certification.
Brad Clark, the agency’s general counsel, said the State Board of Education received multiple sexual misconduct complaints against Young.
“These complaints include allegations that Young has sexually assaulted adults and minors, groomed minors for sexual abuse and unfairly compensated teachers in exchange for sexual relationships.”
On Aug. 28, the Peckham School Board named Johnie Decker as the interim superintendent, replacing Young.
Young has not been criminally charged.
