The principal of McCracken County High School has been suspended with pay and charged by police for failing to report the abuse of students.
Michael Ceglinski has been the principal at the western Kentucky high school since its formation in 2013. Multiple media outlets report that since the beginning of the school year, three high school employees and a student have either been charged or are being investigated by police.
- John Parks, the high school’s bass fishing coach, was charged with first-degree sexual abuse on February 14. Parks’ arrest citation says he allegedly grabbed a male juvenile’s butt and inner thigh multiple times “for sexual gratification,” according to media reports. He was also charged with possession of child pornography.
- McCracken County High School activities director Kris Garrett resigned from his position on February 6 after inappropriately contacting a student, or multiple students, using an electronic device, according to the McCracken County Sheriff’s Office. He was banned from school property in mid-January after the sheriff’s office began its investigation.
- A third, unnamed employee, is also under investigation for inappropriate communication, according to police.
- 18-year-old student, Pricekumar Joshi, was charged this week with inappropriate sexual contact and possessing illegal sexual images of an underage student, authorities said.
Ceglinski was charged with two misdemeanors for not reporting the abuse. He allegedly knew about two of the incidents and did not tell law enforcement, which is required under state law. The school took no administrative action in one of the incidents and little action in another, according to media reports.
McCracken County High School was formed when Heath, Reidland and Lone Oak High Schools consolidated.
Ceglinski’s attorney, Jeremy Ian Smith, released a statement Wednesday morning denying his client committed any wrongdoing:
“Principal Michael Ceglinski has been suspended with pay from his duties at McCracken County High School after being charged with two misdemeanors alleging he did not report abuse of his students. These charges are nonsensical and illogical. Principal Ceglinski has never had any motive to fail to report the abuse of his students. In his 20 years as an educator, the last seven as principal of McCracken County High School, Principal Ceglinski has always made the needs and safety of his students a priority. Principal Ceglinski cooperated with the investigation and looks forward to trial where rumor and innuendo are not evidence. Principal Ceglinski looks forward to being judged by the facts.”
(Information for this article was gathered from the Paducah Sun, the Lexington Herald-Leader and WestKentuckyStar.com)
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com or 270-259-6000
