Trial of ex-assistant principal Walker begins
By Kat Russell, Reporter
The Paducah Sun
March 30, 2016
http://www.paducahsun.com/news/local/033016_PS_Walker_Trial
Walker
The trial of a former Paducah Middle School principal began Tuesday in McCracken Circuit Court with testimony from several witnesses.
Jerry W. Walker, 40, faces charges of perjury, tampering with physical evidence and witness tampering after he allegedly lied to a Paducah schools tribunal in 2013 while appealing his termination.
Walker was fired earlier that year after the Paducah school board conducted an investigation into rumors that Walker was having an affair with Jennifer Griffith, 36, a teacher at the middle school.
The rumors centered around a middle school track meet on May 25, 2013, in Louisville, which Walker was supposed to attend as a school administrator.
Instead, police said, Walker spent two nights at a Hyatt hotel, then submitted an expense report to the school claiming he'd been at the meet.
Walker appealed his termination, requesting a tribunal hearing which was held in July 2013.
Police said Walker lied during his testimony at the tribunal, insisting he'd been at the meet. Police also said Walker produced photographs as evidence that showed him in Louisville wearing an orange wristband, which he claimed was an admittance bracelet for the meet. Police said Griffith helped Walker take those photos.
Sgt. Anthony Copeland of the Paducah Police Department said his investigation showed Walker bought the orange wristband after his termination.
Griffith also testified at the tribunal, saying she was with Walker in Louisville. Police said she perjured herself when she testified Walker was at the track meet. She was charged with perjury and facilitation to tampering with physical evidence. She pleaded guilty to the tampering charge and to felony perjury earlier this year.
Tuesday's testimony came from school staff members as well as a former middle school principal and a former Paducah Schools superintendent.
Former principal Tim Huddleston testified he became concerned about the rumors surrounding Walker and Griffith in the months leading up to the May 25 track meet.
"There was suspicion but I didn't have any proof," he said.
Huddleston said he confronted Walker and asked if he was having an affair, which Walker adamantly denied.
"If I recall, he said 'Absolutely not, if I were you'd be the first to know,'" he said, adding at that time he was satisfied with Walker's answer.
Dr. Randy Green, who was the Paducah City Schools superintendent at the time, said he had heard those rumors, too, receiving several phone calls and complaints from parents and staff.
Green said he found out after the meet that Walker had not attended.
"He was supposed to be there, we knew he was supposed go to the track meet, but we were told by different people that he was not at the track meet," he said.
Huddleston said Walker had committed to attending the meet as a school administrator, meaning he was supposed to be visible at the event and prepared to handle rowdy or unhappy parents or "out of line" students.
After Walker returned from Louisville, Green testified he received several phone calls lodging complaints against Walker.
Green said he confronted Griffith and Walker separately and became "convinced of the affair," but Walker continued with his denials.
Before confronting them, Green said he had gathered evidence from the school email system - communications between Griffith and Walker - that revealed they were planning a trip to Nashville, Tennessee. Confronted with that, Green said Walker still denied the affair, saying he was taking his wife.
Following the school board's termination, Green said he sent Walker a termination letter with a list of termination charges, which included having an intimate affair with a teacher, not attending the school track meet and turning in an expense report for that meet.
Several school staff members who attended the track meet in 2013 testified as well, saying they, too, did not see Walker during the meet, nor did they hear from him during that weekend.
Following the meet, William Shelby, former head coach of the girls track team, testified he received several text messages from Walker, allegedly trying to convince him he had attended the meet. Shelby said Tuesday he never saw Walker there, recalling he thought the exchange of text messages was odd.
"I remember wondering why this would even come up," he said, adding Walker explained people were accusing him of having an affair and he "wanted someone to say that they had seen him (at the meet)."
During his cross-examinations, defense attorney Dennis Null indicated Walker could have attended the meet but not been seen because thousands of
people were in attendance. He also suggested it was not Walker, but someone else who submitted the expense report.
Walker's trial will resume at 8:30 a.m. today and is expected to last until Friday.
Contact Kat Russell, a Paducah Sun staff writer, at 270-575-8653.
Jerry W. Walker, 40, faces charges of perjury, tampering with physical evidence and witness tampering after he allegedly lied to a Paducah schools tribunal in 2013 while appealing his termination.
Walker was fired earlier that year after the Paducah school board conducted an investigation into rumors that Walker was having an affair with Jennifer Griffith, 36, a teacher at the middle school.
The rumors centered around a middle school track meet on May 25, 2013, in Louisville, which Walker was supposed to attend as a school administrator.
Instead, police said, Walker spent two nights at a Hyatt hotel, then submitted an expense report to the school claiming he'd been at the meet.
Walker appealed his termination, requesting a tribunal hearing which was held in July 2013.
Police said Walker lied during his testimony at the tribunal, insisting he'd been at the meet. Police also said Walker produced photographs as evidence that showed him in Louisville wearing an orange wristband, which he claimed was an admittance bracelet for the meet. Police said Griffith helped Walker take those photos.
Sgt. Anthony Copeland of the Paducah Police Department said his investigation showed Walker bought the orange wristband after his termination.
Griffith also testified at the tribunal, saying she was with Walker in Louisville. Police said she perjured herself when she testified Walker was at the track meet. She was charged with perjury and facilitation to tampering with physical evidence. She pleaded guilty to the tampering charge and to felony perjury earlier this year.
Tuesday's testimony came from school staff members as well as a former middle school principal and a former Paducah Schools superintendent.
Former principal Tim Huddleston testified he became concerned about the rumors surrounding Walker and Griffith in the months leading up to the May 25 track meet.
"There was suspicion but I didn't have any proof," he said.
Huddleston said he confronted Walker and asked if he was having an affair, which Walker adamantly denied.
"If I recall, he said 'Absolutely not, if I were you'd be the first to know,'" he said, adding at that time he was satisfied with Walker's answer.
Dr. Randy Green, who was the Paducah City Schools superintendent at the time, said he had heard those rumors, too, receiving several phone calls and complaints from parents and staff.
Green said he found out after the meet that Walker had not attended.
"He was supposed to be there, we knew he was supposed go to the track meet, but we were told by different people that he was not at the track meet," he said.
Huddleston said Walker had committed to attending the meet as a school administrator, meaning he was supposed to be visible at the event and prepared to handle rowdy or unhappy parents or "out of line" students.
After Walker returned from Louisville, Green testified he received several phone calls lodging complaints against Walker.
Green said he confronted Griffith and Walker separately and became "convinced of the affair," but Walker continued with his denials.
Before confronting them, Green said he had gathered evidence from the school email system - communications between Griffith and Walker - that revealed they were planning a trip to Nashville, Tennessee. Confronted with that, Green said Walker still denied the affair, saying he was taking his wife.
Following the school board's termination, Green said he sent Walker a termination letter with a list of termination charges, which included having an intimate affair with a teacher, not attending the school track meet and turning in an expense report for that meet.
Several school staff members who attended the track meet in 2013 testified as well, saying they, too, did not see Walker during the meet, nor did they hear from him during that weekend.
Following the meet, William Shelby, former head coach of the girls track team, testified he received several text messages from Walker, allegedly trying to convince him he had attended the meet. Shelby said Tuesday he never saw Walker there, recalling he thought the exchange of text messages was odd.
"I remember wondering why this would even come up," he said, adding Walker explained people were accusing him of having an affair and he "wanted someone to say that they had seen him (at the meet)."
During his cross-examinations, defense attorney Dennis Null indicated Walker could have attended the meet but not been seen because thousands of
people were in attendance. He also suggested it was not Walker, but someone else who submitted the expense report.
Walker's trial will resume at 8:30 a.m. today and is expected to last until Friday.
Contact Kat Russell, a Paducah Sun staff writer, at 270-575-8653.
