Tulsa Public Schools Employee Suspended After Arrest On Drug Complaint

By Lori Fullbright and NewsOn6.com

TULSA, Oklahoma—An employee at Will Rogers School in Tulsa was arrested Tuesday afternoon on school property, according to an arrest report.

Aundrae Maxey, 27, was booked into the Tulsa County Jail for possession of a firearm in commission of a felony, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and failure to obtain a tax stamp for a controlled drug. 

Maxey is also charged with second degree burglary.  He and a friend are charged with breaking into the OSU-Tulsa campus in September. He has been released on $21,250 bond.

Maxey told News On 6 he's never stolen anything in his life, but didn't want to talk about the pot or gun in his car or his childhood buddy who is also charged with the same burglary.

Aundrae Maxey's Facebook page says he graduated from Will Rogers High School in 2001 and from Oklahoma Central University in 2006. He went back to his roots and worked at Rogers until 2008, then left for awhile then came back in January of 2009. He has been working there since then, assisting with special needs students.

The police officers at OSU Tulsa, got a warrant for Maxey on Tuesday as part of a burglary investigation that began in the fall of 2009.

"The individual went into offices and took a purse and a debit card and a laptop in the offices. That was the first burglary. The second burglary, they went into an office and took two laptop computers," said Chief Melvin Murdock, OSU Tulsa.

According to the arrest report, OSU-Tulsa Police officers arrested Maxey about 4:15 p.m.. Officers found 1.7 pounds of pot, scales, and a handgun in his vehicle. The report also said Maxey had more than $1,100 on him at the time of his arrest.

Chief Murdock says campus surveillance video and video from a Target in Owasso where the stolen debit card was used were instrumental in getting charges filed against Maxey and Myron Martin.

Maxey told me he and Martin were childhood friends and spent a lot time together.

Martin has a number of convictions for burglary, where he stole from cars, from homes and from TU's law library - with laptop computers often being his loot of choice.

Chief Murdock says he's glad to wrap up the year-long investigation.

"OSU-Tulsa is a safe campus, and we don't have a lot of this type of activity so it allows us to pay attention when it does happen," he said.

Both Maxey and Martin are only charged at this time, neither has been found guilty.

Tulsa Public Schools said Maxey has been suspended with pay.  The district said he's been working at Will Rogers High School as a teachers assistant since January of 2009. 

District officials released a statement Wednesday concerning Maxey's arrest:

Tulsa Public Schools cooperated fully with officers from the Oklahoma State University campus police department and Tulsa Police, who took a Will Rogers High School paraprofessional into custody after school on Tuesday, October 19.

Aundrae E. Maxey, Sr. was hired on January 5, 2010, as a paraprofessional at Will Rogers High School. He had previously worked in the same position and location from August 21, 2006 until October 6, 2008 when left in good standing to pursue other opportunities.

Due to privacy and due process issue, Tulsa Public Schools does not discuss pending personnel matters; however, in response to inquiries from the media, the district can say that Mr. Maxey has had no prior disciplinary issues. Also, in accordance with privacy policies and laws, the district can say that Mr. Maxey has been suspended pending further personnel action. The law and district policy require that employees be compensated during periods of suspension.

Late Wednesday afternoon the district issued a correction, stating Maxey had been rehired on January 5, 2009, not 2010.