Harrah Middle School Teacher Resigns After State Board Of Education Suspends His License

A teacher's license was suspended over his questionable past, after a parent alerted education officials.

The State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister confirms as soon as that parent contacted them, they investigated the claim and took immediate action to suspend Hampton Anderson's license within days. Anderson was a science teacher at Harrah Middle School.

The Superintendent at Harrah Schools confirms Anderson was hired in July 2015 and completed the State Department of Education's background check that is required for all new employees. Those background check results did not reveal any criminal wrong doing, Hofmeister confirmed.

"That is something that is certainly not captured in a criminal background check that is done through the OSBI,” Hofmeister said.

News 9's Adrianna Iwasinski checked and before Anderson became a teacher, he used to be a doctor of osteopathic medicine and surgery in Kansas, and practiced family medicine in Idabel, Oklahoma. A quick search on Google reveals Anderson had his medical license revoked in 2010 for sexual misconduct.

Documents found online reveal the Kansas State Board of Healing Arts found Anderson committed acts of unprofessional conduct when he committed three separate acts of sexual misconduct, one of which was not consensual. However, Anderson was still able to get a job at Harrah Middle School.

Hofmeister confirms more should have been done to check Anderson’s full background during the hiring process.

“In my opinion that is inexcusable,” said Hofmeister. “We are risking students' safety when we knowingly have an individual who has had an abuse of power in another field and in another profession.”

Hofmeister confirms Anderson will have his suspension reviewed but for now will not be able to teach anywhere in Oklahoma.

The Harrah Superintendent sent the following statement to News 9:

Mr. Anderson was hired in July of 2015 to teach General Science at Harrah Middle School.  He held a current Oklahoma teaching license (issued in June 2015) and completed the State Department of Education background check that is required for all new employees. 

The results of the background check did not reveal any criminal wrongdoing.  The district was made aware on Monday, May 1, 2017 that the State Department of Education had revoked Mr. Anderson’s teaching license at which time he was no longer employed by the district.

During his tenure with Harrah Public Schools, Mr. Anderson had shown himself to be a good teacher with no hints or allegations of any impropriety whatsoever.  The Harrah School District is presently conducting an internal review of this matter from beginning to end with the primary goal of student safety and integrity of the vetting process at it’s core.  

There is no further information at this time.   

---Paul Blessington, Harrah Schools Superintendent