A substitute teacher in a Pawhuska high school choir classroom was arrested last week after reportedly exposing herself while performing a cartwheel in front of students.
A student captured a cell phone video purportedly showing Lacey Sponsler, 34, doing a cartwheel in the choir room. Sponsler was wearing a skirt, and she was reportedly not wearing underwear.
Witnesses say the substitute teacher told the students she wasn't wearing underwear before completing the cartwheel and told them to destroy the video after she completed the flip.
Instead, the video began spreading on Snapchat. When school officials became aware of the alleged incident, the district severed the woman's employment, and police arrested her on a complaint of indecent exposure.
Under Oklahoma law, indecent exposure is a felony sex crime. According to 21 O.S. § 1021, "Every person who willfully and knowingly . . . [l]ewdly exposes his or her person or genitals in any public place, or in any place where there are present other persons to be offended . . . shall be guilty, upon conviction, of a felony and shall be punished by the imposition of a fine of not less than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) nor more than Twenty Thousand Dollars ($20,000.00) or by imprisonment for not less than thirty (30) days nor more than ten (10) years, or by both such fine and imprisonment."
Indecent exposure is a Level 1 sex crime. If convicted, the defendant would have to register as an Oklahoma sex offender for 15 years after the completion of her sentence.
A felony conviction would prevent the woman from ever working as a substitute teacher again--or at least, it should. Substitute teachers in Oklahoma are required to pass a background check, and a felony conviction automatically disqualifies someone as a candidate. Under some circumstances, people with misdemeanor convictions could still be employed as a sub.
After Sponsler's arrest, it was determined that the woman had a criminal record, including a felony drug possession charge. She received a deferred sentence in that case.
Some have questioned the vetting process, since someone with a felony on her record was not disqualified from substitute teaching. However, the woman was not technically convicted of the felony charge. Rather, she received a deferred sentence. If she successfully completed probation, then the charge would be dismissed under a Section 991c expungement.
Regardless, you can be pretty sure the Pawhuska school system will be taking a closer look at criminal backgrounds for future hires.
Image credit: DAXKO
