Oklahoma City Public School Teacher Arrested For Alleged Child Abuse

News9.com

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Oklahoma City Public School officials said an Oklahoma City Public School teacher was arrested Wednesday afternoon for alleged child abuse.

Jeremy Parke, 38, is a sixth grade science teacher at Roosevelt Middle School and was arrested at the school at 12:30 p.m. on two counts of child abuse. Parke has been teaching there since August 2006. He began teaching social studies and also served as a substitute, and P.E. teacher at Cleveland Elementary School. 

Authorities said the alleged victims are his two young children. The alleged physical abuse occurred between March 4 and March 7 at Parke's Moore home.

Police said the children each went home with their mothers with several injuries including burns on their chests.

"He explained them as being rug burns, by he was playing with the children, dragged them across the rug. They sustained the burns which had eventually scabbed over," said Moore Police Sgt. Jeremy Lewis.

Police said Parke's one-year-old daughter also had a busted lip, a cut above her eye and bruises on her buttocks. Both children were seen by doctors in Logan County and at OU Children's Hospital.

"The doctors determined they weren't accidental. They were abuse type injuries," Sgt. Lewis said.

School officials said no students were in or around Parke's classroom when the arrest took place. The district will alert parents of the incident through the recorded telephone alert system.

News 9 has found several domestic-related filings involving Parke, in both Oklahoma and Cleveland counties. In December 2009 Parke filed paperwork in Oklahoma County to establish that he was the father of a child.

In January 2010, Parke's wife filed for a protective order against Parke on behalf of their child in Cleveland County. A judge denied that protective order. Less than two weeks later, Parke filed for divorce Oklahoma County. That divorce is still pending. 

In March 2010 a domestic assault and battery charge was filed against Parke. A judge has since dismissed that charge, at the request of the Cleveland County District Attorney.

"Oklahoma City Public Schools has become aware of the arrest of a Roosevelt employee. We have fully cooperated with the law enforcement. We will take the appropriate administrative action and Mr. Parke will be immediately placed on administrative leave," said OKCPS in a statement regarding the incident.