Former Kearney High School teacher pleads guilty to harassment in sexual misconduct case
A former Kearney High School math teacher pleaded guilty on Monday to one count of second-degree harassment.
Bryant Hummel appeared in Clay County court Monday regarding the sexual misconduct case where he was accused of exposing himself to two female students in March 2020. Second-degree harassment is a Class A misdemeanor in Missouri.
Hummel had been charged with first-degree sexual misconduct. He pleaded not guilty to that charge last October.
He worked at the school since August 2017, serving as a math teacher, assistant football and wrestling coach, and alternative education teacher during his four years as a Kearney High School employee.
According to a probable cause statement, Hummel asked two 17-year-old female students to stay after school to go over missing homework assignments when he exposed his genitals to them while in his classroom, the girls told detectives in April 2021.
When they asked him what he was doing, Hummel allegedly responded, “Oh I see how it is,” as he moved behind a desk to touch himself, according to the interviews.
The students then asked him to stop. He threatened to give them failing grades and ruin their sports career if they reported the incident, according to court documents.
After they had left the classroom, the students allegedly received a FaceTime call from Hummel. The students told detectives that Hummel appeared to be at home and naked, asking them to expose themselves.
They allegedly received multiple texts from Hummel asking them to come to his house, according to court documents. A few days later, the girls told detectives, that as Hummel collected quizzes they had taken he also asked them to meet him at his home later in the evening. They said they were the only ones in the classroom.
In April 2021, Jeff Morrison, assistant superintendent at Kearney High School, told police that the school began an investigation into Hummel, regarding an incident involving two students, according to the probable cause statement.
The Kearney School District previously investigated the allegations against Hummel in April. Hummel was placed on administrative leave at that time.
The district reopened the investigation in September after a probable cause statement detailing the accusations was made public that same month.
Hummel was officially fired Oct. 13.
The Star’s Matti Gellman contributed to this report.
This story was originally published March 8, 2022 at 8:10 AM.
