A former Kentucky high school principal who first made headlines in 2009 for banning books from the classroom believing them to include ‘soft pornography’ and ‘homosexual content’ is back in the public spotlight once again, following his arrest on Tuesday for allegedly possessing and distributing child pornography.
Phillip Todd Wilson, 54, the principal of the Clark County Area Technology Center, located at the George Rogers Clark High School in Winchester, was taken into custody by state troopers following a complaint from someone at the school claiming Wilson had sent another staff member explicit images involving a minor.
A search of his digital devices yielded 15 images of child pornography, resulting in 15 counts of possessing matter portraying sexual performance by a minor and an additional 15 counts for reportedly distributing the images.
Clark County Public Schools released a statement Wednesday morning, saying the district has been left ‘shocked and dismayed’ by Wilson’s arrest and the subsequent allegations against him.
Phillip Todd Wilson, 54, the principal of the Clark County Area Technology Center, located at the George Rogers Clark High School in Winchester, was taken into custody by state troopers Tuesday
His arrest came following a complaint from someone at the school claiming Wilson had sent another staff member explicit images involving a minor
The spokesperson added that the district is cooperating with law enforcement in the investigation and is working with the Kentucky Department of Education to ensure children in the program aren’t affected or involved.
‘Philip Wilson is no longer an employee of the Department of Education,’ department officials assured.
Wilson also previously worked with Montgomery County and Madison County school districts, and he worked as a referee with the Kentucky High School Athletics Association – a duty he has since been suspended from.
The 54-year-old was taken to the Clark County Detention Center with a bail bond of $25,000 set.
In 2009, when he was the principal of Montgomery County High School in Mount Sterling, Wilson caused a wealth of controversy following complaints from a number of parents regarding several contemporary young-adult novels being taught alongside classic works such as ‘Beowulf’ in English classes.
The books included Lessons From a Dead Girl by Jo Knowles, Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson, Deadline by Chris Crutcher and Unwind by Neal Shusterman, all of which ‘contain foul language and cover topics — including sex, child abuse, suicide and drug abuse — unsuited for discussion in coed high school classes,’ according to the complainants.
Clark County Public Schools released a statement Wednesday morning, saying the district has been left ‘shocked and dismayed’ as a result of Wilson’s arrest and the subsequent allegations against him
In 2009, when he was the principal of Montgomery County High School (above) in Mount Sterling, Wilson caused a wealth of controversy following complaints from a number of parents regarding several contemporary young-adult novels being taught alongside classic works such as ‘Beowulf’ in English classes
Risha Mullins, the teacher who included the books in her lesson curriculum, went on to write in a blog post that a parent of a student who chose to read Lessons From a Dead Girl emailed her along with Wilson, the superintendent and other school board members, claiming she taught ‘soft pornography’.
The books included Lessons From a Dead Girl (above) by Jo Knowles, Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson, Deadline by Chris Crutcher and Unwind by Neal Shusterman, all of which ‘contain foul language and cover topics — including sex, child abuse, suicide and drug abuse — unsuited for discussion in coed high school classes,’ according to the complainants.
Wilson and other officials agreed with the aggrieved parents and decided to the pull the books in question from Mullins’ classroom.
‘After that email, my curriculum coach told me — in the principal’s office, with him present — that she had to beg the superintendent not to shut down the Moo Moo Book Club, and that she quoted him when she said, “one more problem with books and the club is gone.” I remember asking if he could do that. And I remember her laughing,’ Mullins wrote at the time.
Mullins added that she later received a letter that every book in her classroom library and on her book club’s reading list would be pulled and reviewed.
She claims that no official challenge against any of the books had been filed, despite that being the school board’s policy for suspending a book.
Mullins also became the subject of fierce criticism in the local newspaper, claiming the coverage left her colleagues refusing to talk to her.
Risha Mullins (above), the teacher who included the books in her lesson curriculum, went on to write in a blog post that a parent of a student who chose to read Lessons From a Dead Girl emailed her along with Wilson, the superintendent and other school board members, claiming she taught ‘soft pornography’
In light of Wilson’s arrest, several authors of the books that were banned have spoken out on social media
In light of Wilson’s arrest, several authors of the books that were banned have spoken out on social media.
‘A man tried to ban Speak from school & public libraries in 2009 cuz it was “pornographic.”,’ author Laurie Halse Anderson tweeted. ‘I wrote an op-ed in his newspaper & said anyone who finds the rape of a 14-year-old sexually exciting has serious problems. ‘Poisonous leaders use their power to protect their evil’ she concluded.
In a post on Facebook, author of Lessons From a Dead Girl Jo Knowles said she was a ‘very new author’ in 2009 when the Montgomery County District banned her books for ‘homosexual and other content’, saying that the press coverage at the time was ‘overwhelming’.
‘I was horrified by the accusations [Wilson] and the superintendent made. And heartbroken for the brave teacher Risha Allen Mullins who stood up for our books and faced so much unfair criticism,’ Knowles wrote.
Knowles added she was ‘having a lot of feelings now’ and told some friends when she got the news of Wilson’s arrest, ‘You can’t make this s*** up.’