Sexual Misconduct Charges Against Brian Keith McGuire Enumerated

Brian Keith McGuire

The Alabama teaching certificate of former Lexington resident Brian Kieth McGuire was revoked by the State Board of Education last week, after several investigations that go back nine and one-half years. McGuire is contesting this revocation, and the Board has now made public their reasons for the loss of his license. From Sherrill W. Parris, Assistant State Superintendent:

1. On or about Feb. 1, 2002, and on or about Feb. 28, 2002, you inappropriately touched female students.

2. On or about March 8, 2002, 20 female students complain of your inappropriate conduct toward them, after which an incident/offense report was filed on or about May 5, 2002, with the Limestone County Sheriff’s Department for your inappropriate touch of two female students.

3. In approximately 2002, you watched pornography on your school office computer, as witnessed by at least one of your students.

4. The above incidents and charges occurred during your employment by the Limestone County School System as a physical education teacher during 1995 to 2002.

5. On or around Dec. 20, 1990, you had oral and vaginal sex by forcible compulsion with (alleged victim – name removed), who had not given you any consent and who had been babysitting your brother’s children at the time.

“I disagree with the recommendation of the administrative law judge. I find that the ALJ was in error in his finding that you admitted to having sex with (alleged victim – name removed) to her father and that her father did not accuse you of raping her. The father’s testimony in the criminal trial refutes these findings. Further, I find that the medical records admitted into evidence, which state that the victim reported the rape to her physician support her testimony and should have been addressed in the ALJ’s recommendation when considering the department’s evidence. Based on these findings, I find a direct relationship between those matters and conduct reflected therein and your ability to be an effective teacher, a role model for Alabama public school students, and your fitness to teach. I find your conduct to be immoral, indecent, unbecoming and just cause for revoking your Alabama Professional Educator Certificate.”

We had previously been aware of some of these charges; others we are now seeing for the first time. How nice to know McGuire was using computers paid for by the taxpayers of Alabama (read: You and Me) to view demeaning images of women.

We also understand that Keith McGuire is being investigated concerning harassing communications he sent various individuals in the media and the family of at least one of his accusers. It's interesting to note that while a jury in Lauderdale County found McGuire not guilty of the rape for which he was tried in 2009, the Alabama State Board has, after reading the same testimony, found him to be guilty.

Are there any out there who think Brian Keith McGuire or others like him should be teaching the youth of our state? Let's make the state education motto "No More Pass the Trash."

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Kudos to Jean Cole of the Athens News Courier for her tireless work in investigating and reporting on this former Clements teacher.



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Brian Keith McGuire's Fight for Teaching License Heads to State Superintendent

For those who came in late, Brian Keith McGuire is a teacher and former coach who grew up in the small Lauderdale County town of Lexington. After working several years as a barber, McGuire returned to school and graduated from Athens State University with a degree in education; he then taught at Clements High School in western Limestone County.

After accusations that he initiated unwanted sexual contact with two female students, McGuire resigned from Clements in 2002 and taught at three other Alabama schools before being indicted on a rape charge in 2008. At that time two other Clements students came forward with stories of improper conduct by McGuire, and the Alabama Board of Education sought the revocation of McGuire's teaching license. An initial hearing was continued until after McGuire's 2009 trial, at which he was found not guilty of assaulting a teenage babysitter.

It was not until December 14th and 15th of 2010 that the revocation hearing was concluded, with authorities promising a verdict within 30 days. Due to requests for various rebuttals and other delays, the verdict was not announced until last Friday. On September 30th, nine and one-half months after the hearing, a judge pronounced that the State Board of Education had not sufficiently proved McGuire was morally unfit to teach in the state.

Unlike a trial, this hearing does not produce an actual verdict, but only a recommendation to the state superintendent. Now, Interim Superintendent Larry E. Craven will decide the fate of McGuire's licensure...or he could postpone the decision until his replacement is announced.

Those who claim to have been the victims of sexual abuse by McGuire have made their unhappiness with the decision known. Two former Clements students and the alleged rape victim are among those who have offered their opinions on the special judge's decision. We'll bring them to you tomorrow.

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Sources with the Muscle Shoals Police Department have stated that former UNA student Corey Langley Griffin, currently accused of rape and awaiting indictment, has two similar previous charges for violence against women. Both a former high school girlfriend from Talladega and a former UNA girlfriend have restraining orders against the one-time high school tennis star. Griffin's response to the charges: "The criminal complaint filed in district court says that Griffin told investigators that he only used the victim for sex, and that she understood her place with him."

It should be an interesting trial...

Related post: Corey Griffin



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