Oklahoma County DA Takes On Epic Charter Schools Investigation

The Oklahoma Attorney General's Office announced Friday it will turn over its Epic Charter Schools investigation back to the desk of Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater.

The change now means that it will be up to Prater as to whether or not charges will be filed against Epic.

According to the state attorney general's office, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation had been looking into Epic Charter Schools for several years. Prater, who worked with OSBI at the time, began the inquiry into Epic back in 2013.

While the investigation was in the AG office's purview, they continued working with the OSBI on the case through a special counsel.

Epic Charter Schools have gone through several internal and external issues in recent months. Back in Dec. 2021, the State Board of Education voted to withhold more than $9 million in funding from Epic after a state audit found the district improperly spent public funds.

Related: Oklahoma To Withhold $9.1 Million From Epic Charter Schools For Improper Spending

A month earlier, in Nov. 2021, Epic announced it would be making cuts to its staff as more students were leaving the district in favor of more traditional classroom environments.

Related: Epic Charter Schools Announces Major Staff Cuts Due To Students Transferring Back To Traditional School Districts