KINGFISHER FOOTBALL COACHES CHARGED; WHAT COURT DOCUMENTS REVEAL

News 9 - October 19, 2023 6:22 am

Justin Mecklenburg, the father of an alleged victim and accuser, is charged with misdemeanor failure to report abuse. Court documents state that Mecklenburg was notified of alleged physical and sexual abuse his son, Mason, suffered in the locker room as a freshman, but didn’t notify law enforcement for a full year. Mecklenburg had pictures of his son’s bruised back, along with audio recordings of alleged admittance to the abuse, but did not turn it over to law enforcement.

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Charges have been filed against Kingfisher football coach Jeff Myers and three others after hazing accusations against the school. Myers is placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the legal matter.

Among the others charged are the father of an alleged victim, an assistant coach and school board member. News9 obtained court documents detailing the OSBI’s findings after an almost two year investigation into hazing and assault allegations at Kingfisher High School. Court documents detail boxing and wrestling matches that would take place in “The Ring” where Kingfisher football players would allegedly settle differences they had on the field. The affidavit alleges five players told the OSBI that Myers knew about the ring matches and four additional players told investigators that Myers watched the fights.

The affidavit says Myers “willfully and/or maliciously failed and/or omitted to provide adequate supervision to protect said children from harm and/or threatened harm of which any reasonable and prudent person responsible for said children’s health, safety or welfare would be aware.” Myers admitted to OSBI that he knew about “The Ring,” but denied knowledge about any boxing.

Related Article: https://www.news9.com/story/652f3666c5dd797cc9ecc88d/charges-handed-down-in-kingfisher-football-hazing-case

Also facing fines or jail time, includes former assistant coach Micah Nall, who is charged with felony child abuse and perjury. Nall admitted to OSBI that “all coaches knew about ‘The Ring” according to court documents.

Nall told OSBI that he heard Myers call players “cancers,” saying, “.. I mean, we all understood what the term cancer meant, something from the inside that can harm things on the outside.” Nall is also accused of not only knowing about “The Ring,” but participating in a fight with one of the students when the student was a freshman. Nall admitted during a deposition to wrestling the under-age student, calling it a “very, very, poor decision,” according to court documents.

Nall admitted that he had watched minors participate in “The Ring” and had the opportunity to stop it, but never did. Nall also served as an English teacher from 2013-2020, where he was accused of verbally abusing minors during the course of his tenure.

Court documents allege Nall called a student on an Individualized Education Program a “Fat worthless piece of s***” and other derogatory terms during football practice. During a deposition, Nall told investigators “I probably said some hurtful things to Hunter that I deeply regret saying.”

Nall is also accused of making “several contradictory statements under oath regarding events that had already been proven” in a 2023 deposition. For this, he is charged with perjury. Myers’ and Nall’s charges are punishable by imprisonment for up to Life, or up to 1 year in the county jail, and/or by a fine of $500 – $5,000 according to court documents.

Jeff Myers attorney Joe White said in a statement: “The man’s name has been dragged through the mud and he’s been unfairly tried and prosecuted in the public, in the news and on social media for the past 5 years. We are glad to finally have an opportunity to defend ourselves in the proper venue- a court of law.”

In a turn of events, Justin Mecklenburg, the father of an alleged victim and accuser, is charged with misdemeanor failure to report abuse. Court documents state that Mecklenburg was notified of alleged physical and sexual abuse his son, Mason, suffered in the locker room as a freshman, but didn’t notify law enforcement for a full year. Mecklenburg allegedly asked Kingfisher Police Chief David Catron “off the record” what he could do if he had complaints. Catron told Mecklenburg that “it would have to go through the process.” The affidavit alleged “Justin worried about the reprisal of Mason,” and never contacted the District Attorney’s Office.

Mecklenburg had pictures of his son’s bruised back, along with audio recordings of alleged admittance to the abuse, but did not turn it over to law enforcement. The court documents say that Mecklenburg turned a packet of the pictures and recordings over to Dana Golbek, a Kingfisher School Board member. Golbeck also failed to report anything to law enforcement, and was also charged with misdemeanor failure to report abuse. The attorney for the Mecklenburg’s, Cameron Spradling, was not available for an interview today, but did send a lengthy statement on the mater: (doc attached)

Kingfisher Superintendent David Glover confirms that Myers has been placed on administrative leave, telling us in a statement: “Nothing is more important to Kingfisher Public Schools than the safety, health and well-being of our students.”

State Superintendent Ryan Walters has denied multiple interview requests on the subject. His office said in a statement today, “Nothing is more important than the safety and security of our students. We are working closely with our law enforcement partners to ensure that student safety comes first and that the law is followed.” This is the first statement we have received from Walters on the matter. We asked about the status of Myers’ teaching certification and did not receive a response.

There is another separate case between the Mecklenburg’s, Kingfisher Public School, and the State Department of Education, requesting the local or state school board terminate Jeff Myers.

We are currently waiting on a decision on that from the state supreme court.

 

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