Margaret Sullivan Keely, the Brandon Township resident and former Oxford High School teacher whose husband is accused of sexually assaulting a student, has withdrawn her appeal challenging the Oxford school district’s decision to fire her.
On Jan. 23, State Tenure Commission Judge James Ward issued an order of dismissal of Keely’s appeal of tenure charges with prejudice, meaning she can’t refile later.
‘It means her employment is terminated and any challenge is over,? said Oxford Area Community Schools Attorney Dan Villaire. ‘There was no deal or negotiation, she received nothing from the district for dropping the appeal. We were going to see things through to the end.?
The Oxford School Board voted to proceed on tenure charges against Keely on Sept. 22, more than two months after she was criminally charged with failure to report child abusive activities as a mandated reporter. Keely, 53, was arraigned on the charge on July 3 at 52-2 District Court and her husband of 30 years, William Arthur Keely, was arraigned the same day, on related charges including three counts of child sexual abuse activity, four counts of a felon in possession of a firearm; four counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, one count of criminal sexual conduct fourth degree and one count of providing pornography to a minor.
According to police reports, Margaret Keely befriended the victim at Oxford High School two years ago, when the girl was a 14-year-old freshman, and Keely was a special education teacher.
Keely then invited the victim, who was not a student of hers, to her home on Hummer Lake Road to do odd jobs around the house as a laborer.
Keely introduced the victim to her husband, who had been convicted of four counts of criminal sexual conduct, second degree, in 2002 after sexually assaulting a 14-year-old foster child.
The Oxford victim was at the Keely home on weekends during the course of the past two years and in April 2008, William Keely allegedly requested she test sex toys that he provided under the false ruse that she would be paid by a company that made the devices.
On June 26, William Keely invited the girl to come over and watch a movie. During the movie, Bouchard said Keely grabbed the victim’s breast, groin area and told her, ‘your body wants it.?
The girl fled the home and the assault was reported to police the following day.
Oxford Schools Superintendent William Skilling said Margaret Keely was an employee of the district for 29 years and had no prior disciplinary issues of which he was aware.
‘I’m glad it’s over and she will not be around our schools anymore,? Skilling said. ‘I feel our students are safer because of it.?
In his 29-year career in education, Skilling said very few teachers have done anything similar.
‘You can’t overreact, because these things show up periodically,? he said. ‘I am not more suspicious. I am confident in our staff and have no reason to believe that our teachers aren’t doing all the right things.?