KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Clay County grand jury declined to file charges against an Excelsior Springs teacher who was accused of assault by the parents of at least four students.
The parents of two students at Cornerstone Elementary filed a complaint, which alleged the teacher had physically assaulted students.
The parents of two more students came forward “with concerns about their children’s treatment” during the investigation, but the grand jury found no probable cause that a crime had been committed.
An internal investigation by the Excelsior Springs School District previously found the allegations to be unsupported and allowed the teacher to return to full duty in May.
That investigation was separate from investigations by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and Missouri Children’s Division, which concluded that children were safe in the teacher’s presence, according to the sheriff’s office.
During the criminal investigation, the teacher was again placed on leave.
The school district said Thursday that the teacher will be fully reinstated.
“The teacher is still with the district,” Dr. Mark Bullimore, director of communications for the Excelsior Springs School District. “With the cases closed and investigative agencies clearing teacher, the teacher is being reinstated fully. We take [these] issues very seriously, and continue to be committed to a safe learning environment for all students.”
The Clay County Sheriff’s Office said in May that the state’s investigation and the school district’s internal investigation both had concluded.
Excelsior Springs police handed the case off to the sheriff’s office in April, citing a conflict of interest.
The sheriff’s office findings were presented to the Clay County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, which took the evidence to the grand jury.
The district cooperated fully with the investigation, according to the sheriff’s office.
