Bailey terminated from athletic director post

By Traci Chapman

Mustang Public Schools’ athletic director Chuck Bailey has been terminated, effective immediately.

The move came after a more than four-hour meeting Friday, in which MPS Board of Education members unanimously voted to follow the recommendation of Superintendent Dr. Sean McDaniel to fire Bailey.

The action was brought before the board by MPS Superintendent Dr. Sean McDaniel, who recommended to the board Bailey be fired because he wrote a letter on district stationary and bearing his title, to a judge in a criminal case involving the director’s nephew.

That man, Dustin Bailey Graham, was convicted in August 2014 of charges involving child pornography. He plead guilty in an Oklahoma County District Court case to felonies involving obscene material possession involving the participation of a minor, clandestine electronic equipment use and unlawful computer use. He was sentenced to 10 years, five years in Department of Corrections custody.

Twelve months later, Graham’s case came up for a one-year review. On May 26, 2015, Bailey wrote a letter to the judge in his nephew’s case, as part of that review process.

“I would be there for him in a supportive role,” Bailey stated in the letter. “I would be a positive role model in all areas of his life.”

None of this was known until the first week of July, when McDaniel received an anonymous letter that included information concerning Graham’s case and advising the superintendent of the existence of the May 2015 Bailey letter. After researching the matter, McDaniel testified he became concerned not because of what the letter said but how it was written – on Mustang Public Schools letterhead and bearing his official administrative title.

“Chuck (Bailey) didn’t see it was that big of an issue – in fact, it was consistent justification of his behavior, that other people had done it,” McDaniel said. “It was deliberate, it was not an accident and given the opportunity he would do it again.”

McDaniel alleged Bailey violated school policy concerning conflicts of interest; he said that in using MPS letterhead and his official title, the athletic director used his position for personal gain – in this case, a favorable outcome in his nephew’s case. He said that action, and Bailey’s response since being asked about it, made it impossible for the superintendent to trust the athletic director moving forward.

“He didn’t do anything wrong,” Bailey’s attorney, Bryan Young said. “It was not improper.”

Bailey agreed with his attorney’s assessment during his testimony, tying supporting his family to his professional life.

“When I introduce myself to people, I’m Chuck Bailey, athletic director of Mustang Public Schools; that’s who I am,” he said.

Chuck Bailey was hired Aug. 24, 2009 as Mustang director of athletics. At that time, his base salary was $75,688, with total compensation $84,999; his base now is $94,463, more than $101,609.
Total compensation includes items such as benefits and other perks provided through his employment.