Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Science teacher charged with molesting students released on bond

LEXINGTON, Ky. --A high school science teacher accused of molesting two students in the 1970s was released from jail Wednesday after posting a deposit on his $32,500 bond.

A judge agreed to release Jack Russell Hubbard, 60, from Fayette County Detention Center after he surrendered his passport and paid 10 percent of the bond, the Lexington Herald-Leader reported on its Web site.

Hubbard is charged with four counts of first-degree sodomy and one count of third-degree rape in connection with alleged sexual assaults. He and another former teacher, Roberta Walter, were arrested last month.

One of the students, Carol Lynne Maner, recently won $3.7 million in a civil trial against Fayette County's Board of Education after a jury found district officials ignored incidents of sexual abuse. The other student, Thomas "Beau" Goodman III, settled his case.

Goodman claimed Hubbard sodomized him 30 times when he was 14 and 15 years old. The rape charge involves Maner when she was 15.

Hubbard's attorney, Bill M. Butler Jr., said his client was innocent and that the charges were motivated by money.

"He's never had a single complaint lodged against him," Butler said. "In my experience in 20 years as a defense lawyer, I've found that cases with allegations like this generally have more than one instance. And there are generally allegations along the way."

Butler waived a preliminary hearing, allowing the case to go to a grand jury.

This from the Herald-Leader.

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