First District Courthouse, Logan
LOGAN — The preliminary hearing for a 50-year-old Spring Creek Middle School teacher charged with physically assaulting five students has been postponed. Scott D. Meeker was arrested in April after one of the students was taken to the hospital for medical treatment.
Meeker was in 1st District Court, Tuesday morning. He was previously charged with one count of child abuse, a second-degree felony, and four class B misdemeanors of assault.
Judge Angela Fonnesbeck met briefly with attorneys in chambers before the hearing began.
Later, Cache County Deputy Attorney Dane Murray said his witness had been unable to appear in court. He asked for the preliminary hearing to be continued, so the witness would be able to attend.
Meeker and defense attorney Brandon Baxter said they were okay with the hearing being postponed.
Judge Angela Fonnesbeck rescheduled the hearing for October 4, when she will determine whether prosecutors have sufficient evidence to bind Meeker over for trial.
According to an arrest report, Cache County Sheriff’s deputies were contacted by one of the alleged victim’s parents April 14. Their son had been taken to the hospital after allegedly being punched in the head twice by Meeker.
After receiving the complaint, a detective met with school officials and viewed a video of the reported incident taking place.
The detective claimed the video showed the alleged victim walking down the school’s hall. The boy is seen jumping up and hitting the top of the lockers (known as dunking). Meeker was seen coming out of his class room and grabbing the boy by the collar of his shirt. He then pushed the juvenile across the hall and slammed him into a wall, causing him to hit his head. Meeker appeared to say something to the boy and then let him go.
As the video continued, it showed Meeker watching a group of onlookers and chasing them down. He pushed several kids out of the way and grabbed two other male juveniles by the back of the neck and pushed them towards another boy.
The detective reported that Meeker was then seen throwing two closed punches, striking the fourth juvenile in the head. The boy sustained multiple bruises, requiring medical treatment at the hospital. A fifth boy was also pushed during the altercation.
Meeker was working as a 7th grade science teacher and had been teaching within the district for 22 years. He has reportedly been placed on administrative leave, and remains on pretrial release from jail.
Individuals arrested and charged in complaints are presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
will@cvradio.com