CHARLES TOWN, W.Va. — Jefferson County Schools has issued an update on their actions in the wake of the arrest of a now former Jefferson High School English teacher.
Local law enforcement made the school system aware of the arrest of 37-year-old Edgar Conn on a fugitive of justice charge out of the state of Georgia, where he faces eight counts of sexual exploitation of a minor out of Cobb County.
“A prioritized search of all electronic records for inappropriate content was launched by law enforcement,” according to the update.
The school system reports they relieved Conn immediately from his duties when it became aware of the allegations against him. “JCS immediately notified the West Virginia Department of Education for the purpose of licensure review and nationwide notification purposes to prevent the former employee from being able to teach.” As part of their required reporting, they also made the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources aware of the charges.
-Conn’s electronic access as well as access to buildings or other school property in the district were terminated. His keys and badge were confiscated, “disabling
all access to any online program of Jefferson County Schools or the West Virginia Department of
Education,” according to the statement from JCS.
A social media platform lists Conn as being an English teacher at Jefferson High School beginning in 2021. Prior to that, Linked In refers to him as an employee of the Jefferson County Clerk’s Office.
The school system’s statement goes on to say, “The former employee has now been arrested and formal charges have been filed. Our justice system is
rightly designed to ensure every individual receives due process and is presumed innocent until proven
otherwise. Jefferson County Schools fully supports and respects that process. We are fully supportive of
our partners in law enforcement and continue to balance their responsibility to conduct an investigation
with our community’s need for information.”
“We know that such news can be concerning for parents and the community. We want to assure you that
Jefferson County Schools conducts every available screening and monitoring precaution to ensure the
safety of our students. As part of our internal investigation, we determined that Mr. Conn’s fingerprinting
and background check were cleared, prior to commencing employment in August 2021, through both
state and federal databases, in accordance with West Virginia Code.”
“In addition to these required background checks, all references were contacted and reviewed by the school administration. In order to
receive teaching certification and licensure in the state of West Virginia, all professionals must provide
fingerprints and submit to a professional background check through the West Virginia Department of Education.”
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The actions taken by the school system as laid out in the update are as follows:
• The employee was immediately relieved of his duties when the school district became aware of
the allegations. JCS did so by acting swiftly and decisively on the day the allegations arose,
including cooperating with law enforcement, who were involved from the onset.
• The employee’s access to buildings was terminated; keys and badge were confiscated, and badge
access was deactivated.
• All electronic access was terminated, including the confiscation of all equipment, and disabling
all access to any online program of Jefferson County Schools or the West Virginia Department of
Education.
• A no-trespass order was issued for all Jefferson County Schools properties and the order was
shared with local law enforcement.
• As required by law, JCS staff immediately notified the West Virginia Department of Education
for the purpose of licensure review and nationwide notification purposes to prevent the former
employee from being able to teach.
• A prioritized search of all electronic records for inappropriate content was launched by law
enforcement.
• The WV Department of Health and Human Resources was notified of the case as potential child
abuse.
The former employee has now been arrested and formal charges have been filed. Our justice system is
rightly designed to ensure every individual receives due process and is presumed innocent until proven
otherwise. Jefferson County Schools fully supports and respects that process. We are fully supportive of
our partners in law enforcement and continue to balance their responsibility to conduct an investigation
with our community’s need for information.
Jefferson County Schools would like to publicly acknowledge and thank our local law enforcement.
Given this is an ongoing criminal investigation and formal charges have been filed, JCS will not comment
further. All future inquiries should be directed to the Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
Dr. Chuck Bishop, Superintendent
[email protected]
Office: (304) 728-9225
“The Jefferson County Schools community is deeply invested in caring for our students. We remain
vigilant and continue to encourage individuals to report any unprofessional or concerning conduct.
Together, we can maintain the integrity of our schools and honor the good work of hundreds of caring
adults while ensuring that those who do not meet our standards are dealt with swiftly and professionally.
Thank you for your trust and support as we continue to serve the families of Jefferson County.
About Jefferson County Schools, W.Va.”