mugshot Joyce Churchwell
Joyce Churchwell is a 40-year-old Tulsa, Oklahoma volleyball coach and teacher who is accused of having a three-way sexual encounter with a male student and former female teacher.
According to Tulsa World, authorities allege that Churchwell “and another woman had sex with a student in mid-2019.”
Churchwell is on leave from Berryhill Schools, which is located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Online records show she is married, and her husband recently had serious medical issues.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Authorities Allege That the Victim Snuck in a Back Window to Have a Sexual Encounter With Churchwell & a Former Female Teacher
Oklahoma Teacher and Married Mother of Two, Joyce Churchwell, 40, Arrested for Rape after Having a Threesome with a Male Student and another Female Teacher. #FirstThem @FirstThemNEWS @tariqnasheed You couldn’t make this stuff up if you tried.
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School staff told authorities that they had heard rumors that Churchwell and a former employee had engaged “in a threesome sexual act with another student,” Tulsa World reported.
The former employee was not charged.
KTUL-TV reported that authorities allege Churchwell and the former employee communicated with the student through Snapchat. The student stated that he snuck through a back window into a master bedroom where the encounter allegedly occurred. According to an affidavit, one of Churchwell’s children was in the home.
The 18 year old student alleged Churchwell sent him nude photos and videos, and that, in mid 2019, while her husband was out of town, Churchwell messaged the student and he went to her home, “where the three had sex,” the Tulsa World newspaper reported.
“He admitted that this encounter had taken place at the teacher’s home along with another adult female – a former teacher at the school district,” said Casey Roebuck, communications director for TCSO, to Newson6.
2. Churchwell Was Once Accused in a Federal Lawsuit of Minimizing Bullying
The passage mentioning Churchwell in a federal lawsuit.
According to KTUL, the other employee who allegedly had the three-way with Churchwell and the male student is a defendant in a federal lawsuit against the district in which a special needs students was allegedly bullied.
The lawsuit, obtained by Heavy.com, says the boy had stunted growth because his biological mother used methamphetamine during pregnancy. As a result, he was bullied. The lawsuit alleges that other students put the boy in a locker and that when he would report the bullying to the teacher, she would say “He is going to tell his mommy!”
The lawsuit alleges that a male student pushed the boy against the wall and punched him but the teacher (not Churchwell) did nothing. It also alleges that a boy simulated a forced sex act on the youth in a classroom but the teacher “was present for the assault and merely took a picture of the event and laughed.” In one instance, a Snapchat video circulated on the Internet.
Although Churchwell is not a defendant in the lawsuit, she is named in it. The lawsuit says that, following the events of April 2019, “Ms. Churchwell (another teacher in the school) told her class that the bullying event that occurred on April 29 was ‘not a big deal.’”
The lawsuit alleges that “the attitude expressed by Ms. Churchwell is pervasive in the Berryhill Schools environment and is contrary to the established policy and demonstrates a lack of training.”
3. The School District Lists Churchwell as Its Volleyball Coach & Algebra Teacher
#Breaking – Here’s the statement from Berryhill Public Schools regarding the arrest of a female teacher. Joyce Churchwell is charged with rape after allegations she had sex with an 18-year old student.
Churchwell is still listed on the website of the Berryhill School District as the volleyball coach. The website has also listed her as “Adv Algebra, 8th Pre-Algebra, 3D Printing/Robotics, Computer Prgm/Coding.”
The volleyball schedule for the year concluded in October.
Oklahoma state court records say that the State of Oklahoma has filed a criminal felony charge against Joyce Churchwell for rape. She was arraigned on January 15, 2020. The charge is for rape in the first degree. The court records say that bond was posted in the amount was $5,000.
The Berryhill School District released a statement saying that it “takes the safety of its students very seriously and does everything it can to provide a safe learning environment.”
The superintendent revealed that the district “contacted law enforcement about allegations of an inappropriate relationship between a student and a teacher.”
The district is “currently cooperating with law enforcement in the investigation of these allegations and will take appropriate action when the investigation is completed. The teacher has been and is currently on leave of absence. The district will not comment further on this matter because of the ongoing criminal investigation and confidentiality rights of the parties involved.”
However, questions are being raised about the district’s handling of the case. KTUL-TV reported that the Sheriff’s Department was told about the incident by the school in December when “the affidavit says the superintendent first heard about the possible relationship in July.”
4. Churchwell’s Husband Recently Suffered a Devastating Stroke
Patrick Churchwell
Churchwell is registered to vote as a Republican in Oklahoma. Tulsa, Oklahoma property records show that she owns a home worth $143,000 with Patrick Churchwell.
There is a GoFundMe page by Patrick’s mom raising money for his medical costs. “Last year the day before my son’s 39th birthday he had a stroke,” it reads.
“We were devastated. We had no idea that he had an heredatary (sic) gene that causes loss of blood flow to the brain. After an extremely difficult surgery, and therapy he is doing well. He has had his last check up and the doctors say he is great. The insurance he had at the time declined to pay any of the incurred medical costs, and he has incurred thousands of dollars in medical debt. As you know he is married to his loving wife Joyce, and now has three loving boys. They are struggling to pay off all these medical bills. Please if you can help him in any way, may God Bless You.”
Oklahoma court records show that Joyce and her husband were sued by a health care system, but the case was dismissed after it settled. She has no criminal history other than minor traffic.
That page dates to 2017. An update by Patrick’s mom read, “Patrick’s last check up was terrific, and all is going well. We are still trying to help him with his medical bills that were not covered by insurance during his first visit to the hospital. We hope you will consider donating to help them pay off the enormous debt.”
5. Multiple Educational Workers in the United States Have Ended Up in Trouble With the Law for Alleged Sex Offenses
Female teachers accused of sex crimes in the U.S.
Female teachers or educational professionals ending up in mugshots has become a too common phenomenon over the past few years. Kayla Sprinkles was one. Haley Reed, a high school choir director, was accused in the rape of a student. Miranda Pauley, a former biology teacher, was accused of taking indecent liberties with a minor.
Cassandra White, an English teacher in Oklahoma, was even accused of taking out a marriage license with a teenage boy. Hunter Day, an Oklahoma teacher, was accused of sending nude photos to a student. Among other recent cases: Loryn Barclay, a former substitute teacher at a Missouri High School, was accused of having sexual contact multiple times with a 17-year-old boy. Shawnetta Reece, a gym teacher from Georgia, was accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a 15-year-old boy.
Tracy Miller, a West Virginia teacher, was accused of sending nude photos to students. Nataly Lopez, a 27-year-old former substitute teacher at a middle school in New Jersey, was accused of having sexual contact with a student. Lindsey Jarvis, a 27-year-old middle school teacher’s aide, was accused of the rape and sodomy of a student who was under the age of 16. Jarvis was arrested in Fayette County, Kentucky, on June 16. Then there’s Laura Ramos. She is a 31-year-old Connecticut high school teacher who is accused of having sex with a special education student. And there’s Tiffany Geliga.
