Mark Bejot speaks during a Aug. 19, 2016 parent meeting (YouTube/Mark Bejot).
A Nebraska school superintendent is facing felony charges over forcing a student to remove a cowboy hat and then holding the student down.
Mark Bejot, who has served as superintendent of Maywood Public Schools since 2020, is charged with intentional child abuse for an alleged fight with a 12-year-old student over a cowboy hat.
Earlier this month, the Frontier County Sheriff’s Office investigated a reported confrontation between Bejot and the student on Oct. 1, 2024 in the Maywood Schools Commons Area. According to the Frontier County Sheriff’s Office, Bejot, 64, told the student to remove the hat, because wearing it violated school policy. Surveillance video next shows the boy taking off the cowboy hat and holding it at his side. However, after Bejot and the boy continue talking, Bejot “leaps for the hat,” then struggles with the boy before grabbing him by the armpits and pulling him off a stool.
The sheriff’s office reported that the student fell to the ground while Bejot held him down until he could grab the cowboy hat. Bejot told investigators that he grabbed the student to try to stop him from falling off the stool. Bejot then took the cowboy hat to his office and returned it to the student at the end of the school day. The student reported sustaining a cut or scratch from the incident.
Bejot was charged by the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office with one count of child abuse not resulting in serious bodily injury, a felony. If convicted, Bejot faces a penalty of up to three years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
The Maywood Public School District convened an emergency meeting late Monday to discuss Bejot’s case, but any decisions relating to the matter were not made public.
Bejot is set to appear in court Nov. 1.
The Maywood Board of Education issued the following statement Wednesday:
On Monday, October 21, 2024, Maywood Public School’s Superintendent Mark Bejot was placed on paid administrative leave. Placing an employee on administrative leave is not any determination of guilt or wrongdoing. Boards of education are extremely limited in the information they can share with the public about personnel matters, including matters involving the superintendent. The Board must follow a detailed statutory process in matters involving certificated staff members, and it is doing so with fidelity. The Board will continue to keep members of the community informed as it is able to do so. The Board remains committed to maintaining a safe and productive learning environment and school community for all students. The Board appreciates the support that the community has and continues to show for our outstanding school district and its staff.
A representative from the Frontier County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday that the investigation into the matter is still ongoing.
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