Chillicothe welding instructor arrested for sexual harassment with students

CHILLICOTHE, Mo. (KCTV) – A Chillicothe welding instructor is in jail after reporting multiple sexual harassment allegations against underage students.

Livingston County, Missouri, District Court Records filed Wednesday, Oct. 23 show Jay D. Shirley, 55, of Carrollton, welding instructor at Grand River Technical Schoolwas accused of two counts of sexual contact with a student.

The Chillicothe Police Department claims that on Monday, Chillicothe R-2 Superintendent Dan Weibers reported that the instructor, later identified as Shirley, was having an inappropriate relationship with students at Grand River.

Investigators determined that of the five students who reported Shirley’s inappropriate behavior, four of them were minors. Students testified that he was known to touch girls inappropriately and that it made them feel uncomfortable in his class.

During an interview with law enforcement officials, Shirley denied ever engaging in sexual misconduct, but admitted that he had been “overly helpful” with students in the past. He was arrested and imprisoned in Livingston County Department of Corrections.

The Chillicothe R-2 School District stated that it had launched its own independent investigation into the matter. To ensure the safety of the community, Shirley has been placed on indefinite leave.

“The district administration places student safety as its top priority and in light of the allegations, we immediately provided appropriate information to the Chillicothe Police Chief,” administrators said. “We are committed to compliance with confidentiality laws and will not disclose any further information about the employee or students in question.”

As of Sunday, Shirley remains behind bars without bail. A bond hearing has been scheduled for Wednesday, October 30, at 9 a.m. No further information was provided.