Worker at Joplin technical school faces charges

JOPLIN, Mo. -- A technical school placement assistant who helped students get jobs and schedule interviews has been charged with sexually assaulting one student and could lose his job after others reported they were the targets of unwanted sexual advances.

J. Barry Mannion, president of the Joplin branch of the Wichita (Kan.) Technical Institute, said Friday that Grady A. Smith has been suspended without pay. The school plans to give the 38-year-old another business day to make a statement before deciding whether to fire him.

The felony sexual assault charge filed Thursday in Jasper County Circuit Court stems from an incident earlier this month.

According to the probable cause statement, the alleged victim told Joplin police that Smith summoned her to his office around 10:30 p.m. on June 7 to discuss her grades. Once there, the victim said Smith tried to kiss her and grabbed her breasts and neck, telling her he wanted to choke her. She told police Smith put his hands down her pants, but she was able to pull away and leave.

The probable-cause statement also refers to a police incident report filed Wednesday night. Detective Sgt. Keith Meyer said five female students alleged in the report that Smith had asked for sexual favors between April 3 to June 14.

Meyer said they had been afraid to come forward because Smith was in a position of recommending them for jobs.

Mannion said some of the students called officials at the school this week to report that Smith was sexually harassing them. He said school officials collected statements from eight students Thursday night.

Mannion said 125 students attend the technical institute's Joplin campus. The school offers technical-training courses in electronics and medical assistant classes.

Smith has worked at the school for more than one year, Mannion said.