MIAMI, Okla. — A Miami School District principal accused of presenting a sex toy in a cookie box to four male students turned herself in Tuesday and was released, her attorney said.
Pamela Rae Couch-Bevis, 63, of Joplin, is charged in Ottawa County District Court in Miami with outraging public decency, a misdemeanor.
Bevis has since been removed from her position as high school and middle school principal.
Winston Conner, Bevis’ attorney, said the 40-year career teacher surrendered to authorities and was released on a personal recognizance bond.
“Despite people’s personal opinions about the alleged act, there was nothing criminal about what she is accused of,” Connor said.
Connor said he plans to file a motion to dismiss her case at Bevis’ next court date.
“I want to be clear that the district takes this situation seriously,” Fraizer said. “We have a responsibility to ensure there is accountability when concerns are raised, while also making sure that everyone involved is treated fairly and that we follow the appropriate policies, procedures, and applicable law.”
“We are still in the process of working with our legal counsel to determine next steps with Ms. Bevis. She is currently on paid administrative leave.”
The school district has no authority over how law enforcement, the District Attorney’s Office, or the court system chooses to investigate or proceed with a matter, he said.
“Those decisions are made independently of the school district,” Fraizer said.
Miami Schools are taking the appropriate steps on the district side, he said.
“We are reviewing the information available to us, following our board policies and applicable state requirements, and working with legal counsel to make sure the process is handled appropriately,” Fraizer said.
“Our goal is not to avoid accountability, but to make sure any action taken by the district is fair, supported by the information available, and handled through the proper process,” Fraizer said.
Bevis told investigators it was a “poor choice in making a joke” when questioned about why she showed the students the sex toy.
The sex toy was removed from a boys’ bathroom wall in February. Court documents say Bevis kept the sex toy in an empty cookie snack box filled with purple and pink tissue paper inside her office closet.
Bevis told investigators she kept the sex toy to give away as a white elephant gift.
However, court documents state that early in the current school term Bevis allegedly gave the boys the snack box and urged one of the boys to reach inside the box. The boy reached inside the box and pulled out the sex toy, put the sex toy back into the box, and returned the box to Bevis, the affidavit states.
Bevis told investigators the incident wasn’t intentional and the whole ordeal lasted less than five minutes.
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