Lawrence speech pathology teacher may have sexually abused additional students: police
The Lawrence Police Department has widened its investigation into a Prairie Park Elementary School employee charged with sexually assaulting two students, on the belief that he may also have been abusing other students outside of his department.
Sixty-year-old Mark Elliott Gridley, a speech and language pathologist at the school, was arrested Saturday night after a parent reported an alleged assault during the school day on Friday. Police learned on Monday of a second assault that allegedly took place Friday at the school.
The department said in a news release on Tuesday that more than two victims have been identified, but declined to provide an exact number, citing a wish to speak privately with affected families.
“Each parental concern brought to our attention must be fully investigated, which takes time,” the release read.
Both of the students initially identified received speech and language services from Gridley at Prairie Park. Now, police believe that Gridley may also have assaulted students who were not signed up for these services.
LPD is asking parents at Prairie Park Elementary to “have a conversation with their children about any possible contact with Mark Gridley,” the department wrote Tuesday. LPD had previously asked parents to contact officers directly before asking their children about interactions with Gridley.
Lawrence Unified School District 497 and the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office are also involved in the ongoing investigation into Gridley’s conduct. In a letter to staff and families on Monday, USD 497 interim Superintendent Jeanice Swift said that Gridley had been fired and that district staff were speaking with families whose students may have been in contact with him.
Prairie Park parents and guardians can reach an LPD hotline dedicated to the investigation at (785) 830-7430.
Previous reporting by The Star’s Nathan Pilling contributed to this article.
This story was originally published February 11, 2025 at 5:17 PM.
