Langston Hughes Charter School To Lose Accreditation

We're learning more about state's decision to pull the accreditation of a Tulsa charter school.

Langston Hughes Academy opened in 2015 and since then has been accused of fraud, grade tampering and inappropriate staff behavior.

This is the moment the state school board voted to pull the accreditation from Tulsa’s Langston Hughes Academy in a vote Thursday night.

"We have a motion we have a second please call the roll" said Joy Hoffmeister, State Superintendent of Public Instruction in an audio clip from the board meeting.

The Charter school will lose its accreditation on June 30th at the latest. Among other recommendations that were approved, the state board also approved establishing a transition team that will help place Langston students in other schools.

"Making sure we have outreach with those students and their families we let them know some of the options that are available to them whether it’s their home school in TPS or some of our other schools" said Stacey Vinson, the Instructional Leadership Director for Tulsa Public Schools.

The State Board’s decision comes after a number of the allegations made against the school, including grade tampering, faculty misconduct, and money mismanagement. One allegation even cited a first hand account by a Tulsa County Sheriff's Deputy.

"Background checks were not conducted an individual was transporting students while that individual did not have a valid Oklahoma Drivers license, students were being unsupervised physical assaults were occurring" said Brad Clark, General Council State Department of Education in an audio clip from the board meeting.

Senator Kevin Matthews said the academy shouldn’t close and should be given MORE TIME to correct the issues. Dean of Students Justin Daniels said when mistakes are discovered, there is action being taken to fix them. He says some of the problems started under past administrators.

"The school again was accredited year after year after year under the previous administration three years you have given us approximately seven months to correct things that we have never touched before as a staff" said Justin Daniels, the Dean of Students at Langston Hughes Academy in an audio clip from the board meeting. 

But ultimately the state school board decided more time would not be given. The school will be non- accredited by June 30th or earlier. News On 6 called the school and left a message and has not heard back.