Lawton Teacher Charged With Rape Of Former Student

LAWTON, Okla. (AP) _ A Comanche County teacher has been charged with raping a former student. <br/><br/>Kent Cox, 34, a teacher at Eisenhower High School in Lawton, was charged with first-degree rape in

Sunday, July 23rd 2006, 11:34 am

By: News On 6

LAWTON, Okla. (AP) _ A Comanche County teacher has been charged with raping a former student.

Kent Cox, 34, a teacher at Eisenhower High School in Lawton, was charged with first-degree rape in Comanche County District Court on Friday, officials said.

Cox is accused of having consensual sex with a 17-year-old female student between November 2004 and March 2005, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.

Capt. John DeBoard, commander of the Lawton Police Department's Criminal Investigation Division, said the student, now 19, filed a report earlier this month that alleged she had consensual sex with Cox several times at his home and once on the Eisenhower campus.

``Cox was interviewed by detectives on Wednesday at which time Cox made statements which substantiated the allegations made by the victim,'' DeBoard said.

Lawton Public Schools attorney Chuck Wade said Cox was hired in 1998. He is employed as an assistant coach for the boys and girls track teams, assistant wrestling coach, cross country coach and science teacher.

Wade said school officials will begin termination proceedings now that Cox has been formally charged. According to Oklahoma law, the district's superintendent must make a recommendation to the board of education to set a termination hearing.

When the board receives that recommendation they must set a date no less than 20 days afterward for a termination hearing. When the allegations first surfaced on Monday, school officials began the process to suspend him.

Wade said the district's policy is to aggressively investigate any allegation of sexual harassment or misconduct.

DeBoard said Cox faces no less than five years in prison if convicted.

Cox was arraigned on Friday and bond was set at $5,000, according to court papers. A preliminary hearing is set for Aug. 25.