Superintendent on Leave Following Incident at Maywood Public School
In a small Nebraska town, Maywood Public School Superintendent Mark Bejot has been placed on administrative leave after being charged with child abuse. The charge follows an October 1st incident involving a student who reportedly fell to the ground during a dispute with Bejot over wearing a cowboy hat in the school’s commons area. Bejot now faces a felony child abuse charge as legal proceedings move forward.
Scuffle Over Cowboy Hat Caught on Surveillance Video
The incident, which occurred in Maywood, a community of around 250 residents, involved a confrontation between Bejot and a student who reportedly refused to remove his cowboy hat when asked. According to Frontier County Sheriff Michael Jordan, the superintendent initially claimed the student “inadvertently fell” off a stool during their interaction. However, surveillance footage appears to contradict this account, showing Bejot pulling the student off the stool while reaching for the hat, according to Jordan.
After viewing the video, Sheriff Jordan expressed concern over the handling of the situation and referred the case to the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office. Prosecutors later reviewed the footage and decided to charge Bejot with child abuse.
Conflicting Accounts of the Incident
In statements given to Sheriff Jordan, Bejot described the encounter as an attempt to prevent the boy from falling while retrieving the hat. According to Bejot, the boy initially refused to remove his hat, then placed it in a difficult-to-reach location. As Bejot attempted to retrieve the hat, the student allegedly fell off the stool despite Bejot’s effort to steady him. The superintendent claimed that the student became aggressive, raising a fist and leaving to call his father.
However, according to Sheriff Jordan, the video footage tells a different story. It shows Bejot reaching for the hat as soon as the boy removed it, allegedly grabbing him by the armpits and pulling him from the stool. The video reportedly also depicts Bejot pushing down on the student’s shoulders while taking the hat from his hands.
Superintendent Maintains Innocence Amid Charges
When confronted with the surveillance video, Bejot reportedly insisted to Sheriff Jordan, “I did not hurt that kid.” Jordan responded, stating the video was concerning but acknowledged it lacked additional context. Following the charges, Bejot was released on a $5,000 bond and awaits a hearing scheduled for November. Court records do not yet list a legal representative for him.
