An Oklahoma City Public Schools educator who previously pleaded to resolve a 2018 criminal charge for grabbing a co-worker’s crotch was arrested again Tuesday after a 13-year-old student was injured during some sort of wrestling activity in a classroom.
John Marshall Enterprise Middle School teacher Kiera Smith, 41, was arrested on an allegation of aggravated assault and battery and booked into the Oklahoma County Jail. Her arrest came five days after she allegedly threw a student to the ground while “play fighting,” according an affidavit associated with the arrest warrant.
OKCPD Master Sgt. Gary Knight said the department’s formal report about the incident was still being reviewed Tuesday, but he provided details from it.
“It appears that on Nov. 21 at 4:30 p.m., the [school resource officer] at John Marshall (Middle School) was notified by the principal that they needed to make an assault report. A student had gotten injured by one of the teachers,” Knight said. “It sounds like there was some horseplay and wrestling going on in the classroom, and at some point during this the teacher was involved in it, and one of the students sustained a broken collarbone.”
Oklahoma City Police Department Detective Christian Hoehner investigated the incident and wrote in the affidavit that he reviewed other students’ cell phone footage of the incident.
“Defendant Kiera Smith turned and grabbed victim lifting him off the ground and slammed him to the ground. This caused victim to break his collar bone. Victim was on the ground in pain asking for help,” Hoehner wrote. “Defendant Kiera Smith comes over to victim and stands over the top of of him and raises both her arms up and looks down at him and says loudly, ‘Anything else!’ Defendant Kiera Smith walks away and goes to her desk.”
Hoehner wrote that the student remained “on the ground in agony and crying” for 15 minutes before he was able to alert his mother — who works in the school’s front office — of the situation. Smith allegedly remained at her desk and did not help the student during this time.
Hoehner wrote that Smith told him Monday that she often “play fights” with her students. The detective also wrote that Smith’s comments about the incident contradicted students’ video.
“During our conversation she did not ask about the victim’s injuries or health. She seemed very put off about the situation and downplayed the altercation,” Hoehner wrote. “Defendant Kiera Smith said she was play fighting [another student] and saw victim coming up from behind so she ducked. Defendant Kiera Smith said this caused victim to ‘roll over my shoulder or whatever, and he fell on his arm.'”
In an emailed statement, OKCPS director of communications Crystal Raymond said the district is cooperating with law enforcement and conducting its own “full internal administrative investigation.”
“OKCPS was made aware of the arrest of Kiera Monique Smith, a teacher at John Marshall Enterprise Middle School. As is routine in these situations, Ms. Smith has been placed on administrative leave,” Raymond said. “As always, the safety and security of our students and staff is our No. 1 priority. Because this is a personnel matter, we cannot provide further comment at this time. Inquiries related to this case and/or charges should be directed to the OKC police.”
NonDoc also obtained a statement from the school’s principal sent to John Marshall staff members, which indicated that “several” educators were involved in the incident and had also been placed on leave.
“Last week, [OKCPS] was made aware of an incident involving several JMEMS staff members, indicating they were in violation of board policy and/or regulations,” Principal Jessica Robinson wrote to staff. “The incident is now being investigated. As is routine in these situations, the employees involved were placed on administrative leave.”
Robinson also added a request.
“As you might imagine, this is likely to be a topic of conversation over the next few days. However, out of respect for your colleague and for each other, I encourage each of you to allow law enforcement and the district to complete their investigations and to not jump to any conclusions or contribute to rumors,” Robinson said. “As always, the safety and security of our students and staff is our No. 1 priority. Thank you in advance for your professionalism and for remaining focused on our mission to provide the best possible educational experience for our young men and women.”
Smith, 41, is being held on $50,000 bond.
Kiera Smith rehired by OKCPS after 2018 arrest
Smith’s arrest Tuesday marked the second time she has been arrested for inappropriately touching someone at OKCPS.
In July 2018, Smith was charged with felony sexual battery after a fellow teacher said Smith groped her in May at school. At the time, Smith was a Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School teacher.
OKCPD Detective Valari Homan wrote in her arrest warrant affidavit that the victim was standing in the school’s front office on May 3, 2018, when she felt Smith’s hand “go between her legs from behind then touching the area between her vagina and rectum. This was on top of her clothing.”
“The victim asked Defendant Smith why she just did that. The defendant said, ‘I was gonna see what your response was going to be and it should have been this.’ The defendant put her hands up as if she was going to hit or slap someone,” Homan wrote. “The victim was stunned, felt humiliated and was violated.”
Smith eventually pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of assault and battery on Jan. 22, 2019. She received a one-year suspended sentence, according to court documents.
According to State Board of Education records, Smith received an emergency teacher certification in July 2016. It was renewed in July 2017, but does not appear to have been renewed after that. Smith currently holds a standard paraprofessional certification, which took effect July 1, 2022, and expires June 30, 2027.
Smith was listed on the personnel report presented at a July 16, 2018, OKCPS board meeting under the “separations” tab. The only reason listed for her separation from the district was “non-continuing contract.”
Asked about Smith’s apparent rehiring by OKCPS after the 2018 battery incident, Raymond said she did not have any information about Smith’s employment details because the HR employee with the information was out of the office.
(Update: The headline of this article was updated at 7:49 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 26, to make a grammatical change.)
Read the Kiera Smith arrest warrant affidavit
