Sat, May 17 2008
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By Lacie Morrison
lmorrison@mineralwellsindex.com
PALO PINTO – A jury will begin deliberations Monday morning in the trial of former Graford High School coach Michael Craig Floyd, who is charged with inappropriate relationship between an educator and student during the 2005-06 school year.
Floyd, 43, continued his testimony Friday morning, denying the allegations made by a former female student. She testified Tuesday and Wednesday that Floyd made progressively more physical sexual contact with her during the 2006 spring semester.
Floyd’s defense attorney, Gary Connally, of Abilene, asked the defendant if he “at any point in time” touched, grabbed or kissed the alleged victim. Floyd denied any such contact.
The defense proceeded to track Floyd’s movements during the period of time around May 9, 2006, the date the alleged victim claimed her coach kissed her. According to Floyd’s testimony, he was at a hotel in Giddings, Texas, on May 8, and was at the Giddings campus all of May 9 until he left at approximately 3:15 p.m. to return home.
Upon his return to Graford, he testified that he and his wife left immediately for the home of a friend in West Texas where they stayed the night, departing in the morning for a job interview with Seagraves ISD.
Floyd said the alleged victim’s testimony that he acted distant toward her the day after the kiss “would not be possible because we were not there.”
In recounting a September 2006 phone conversation that the former student testified was to inform Floyd that she was upset over his alleged inappropriate actions, Floyd testified the conversation was about “her leg injury [a stress fracture] and how mad she was.”
“Did she ever accuse you of any sexual acts whatsoever?” asked Connally.
“No, sir,” replied the defendant. “It was a confusing conversation.”
During cross-examination, District Attorney Michael Burns questioned Floyd about the Sept. 21, 2006, conversation. He asked the defendant if the alleged victim’s testimony was incorrect as well as that of another former student who testified earlier in the week to overhearing a portion of the phone conversation.
Floyd testified that the alleged victim was lying by omission while the other student was lying.
Shortly before the jury adjourned Friday, the attorneys presented rebuttal testimonies.
Graford ISD Superintendent Chance Welch retook the stand at the behest of Burns, bringing with him two staff absence reports for Floyd dated May 8, 2006, and May 10, 2006. According to Welch, the reports were signed by Floyd and former high school principal Don Hise.
Burns asked the superintendent if, upon searching the school records, he was able to find a May 9 absence noted for Floyd, Welch testified that he couldn’t.
Although Welch told jurors he didn’t have personal knowledge of the former coach’s presence on campus that day, “Based on this district document … I would say he was at school on May 9.”
Co-defense attorney Sam Moore asked Welch if teachers sometimes filled out the forms after an absence or if there were occasions where one teacher would fill in for an absent teacher.
“I wouldn’t be surprised,” Welch said, later adding that to not fill out a staff absence report was a violation of school policy.
Graford ISD Athletic Director J.B. Littlejohn and Kristal Floyd supplied further testimony during rebuttal. Littlejohn answered questions pertaining to a conversation about Floyd driving track girls to the softball field for practice in a one-on-one situation.
“I do not recall any hotly contested conversation on that matter,” he remarked.
Both sides will present their closing arguments Monday before the jury will begin the process to determine Floyd’s guilt or innocence.
The charge of inappropriate relationship between an educator and student is a second-degree felony, with a punishment range of two to 20 years confinement and a fine not to exceed $10,000.
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