Mustang Teacher Arrested, Accused Of First-Degree Rape

A Mustang science teacher has been arrested on suspicion of having a relationship with a now-former student, it was announced during a news conference Wednesday.

Raymond Thomas Garner was arrested Wednesday morning without incident, according to a Mustang Police spokesperson. The spokesperson said a person came forward detailing a long-term, unwanted relationship with Garner.

The complaints against Garner include first-degree rape, lewd or indecent proposals or acts to a child, and forcible sodomy.

The investigation started last week when a school resource officer notified police about rumors involving Garner. The rumors involved a science teacher and a student having sexual conduct "hundreds of times" between 2014-17. According to the OSBI, the alleged acts occurred both at the school and at Garner's home in Oklahoma City.

The news conference involved the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI), the Mustang Police Department, and Mustang Public Schools.

Mustang Public Schools Supt. Charles Bradley released the following statement after Garner's arrest:

Mustang Families,

Today one of our long time employees at Mustang High School was arrested and accused of inappropriate/unprofessional conduct with a former student while that individual was a student at MHS (2014-2017). At this time, the employee has been suspended; as this is a personnel issue, and an active investigation our release of further information may be limited. We first learned of this situation from Mustang Police on Monday, January 30, 2023. From that moment, we took our lead from the Mustang Police Department and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation so as not to interfere with any criminal proceedings.

This is a difficult day for everyone associated with Mustang Public Schools. We are shocked, saddened and outraged; there are questions that we want answered and we are working with our law enforcement partners as they conduct their investigation to find those answers. What we can tell you is the same message that we have shared with our staff: MPS is 100% committed to the safety of our staff and students and we expect all employees to adhere to the highest ethical practices and conduct. We will not tolerate behaviors that compromise the safety of our children. We take every precaution to ensure the safety of our students, including requiring mandatory and thorough background checks and fingerprint clearance prior to hiring any individual. We expect that our staff conduct themselves in a professional manner at all times, and any time there is a question of safety or misconduct, we immediately investigate and notify the appropriate authorities. We ask that anyone with relevant or additional information about this situation to call the OSBI tip line at 1-800-522-8017 or email tips@osbi.ok.gov. 

The coming days and weeks will be a difficult time, but we will get through it–together. We will need your support of our students and staff in the days ahead. We thank you, in advance, for that and as always, we thank you for your continued support of Mustang Public Schools.

This is a developing story.