LAWTON – A candidate for a state legislative office who has been banned from Lawton Public Schools property now faces a potential judicial contempt citation.
Johnny Mack Jernigan and his wife of nine years are separated; she filed for divorce on Jan. 28.
She also filed for a protective order against her husband on Feb. 9. Comanche County District Judge Emmit Tayloe approved the petition on a temporary basis, granted Mrs. Jernigan custody of the children and child support, and decreed that his mandate would remain “in full force and effect until further order of the court.”
Mrs. Jernigan filed an application for a contempt citation against her husband on June 17, “alleging your willful and contemptuous violation” of the temporary court order “wherein you were ordered and directed by the Court to pay monthly child support…” Tayloe scheduled a hearing in the matter for Oct. 31.
Jernigan, a candidate for state Senate District 32, also was arrested by the Lawton Police Department and charged in Comanche County District Court on June 7 with violation of the protective order granted to his estranged wife. He pleaded guilty during his appearance before Special District Judge Susan Zwaan that same day and was released from custody on $1,000 bond.
At his sentencing on Aug. 16, Judge Zwaan granted a 12-month deferred county jail sentence but imposed a $200 fine plus court costs. Jernigan then declared that he wanted to rescind his guilty plea.
After hearing arguments from the district attorney’s office and from Jernigan’s attorney on Aug. 25, Zwaan denied Jernigan’s application and advised him of his right to appeal her decision to the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals.
Also that day a lawyer from the Oklahoma Indigent Defense System was allowed to withdraw as Jernigan’s attorney of record.
In a Facebook post Aug. 16, Jernigan wrote: “Lawton Public Schools Lawton Police Department Comanche County Courthouse: It would be remiss of me and my campaign not to be honest. In my experience I’ve been nothing but let down by all of you. The racket behind these walls and the decisions made by the mob bosses and mobsters with law degrees, guns, gavels and badges expose a very real truth that local justices is no longer fit for purpose. We can do better than this and holding judges accountable for having no regard for children and the rule of law is accountability politics.”
LPS ‘stay away’ edict
The Lawton Public Schools Police Department issued a “stay away” edict to Jernigan, a Lawton Democrat who is a candidate for the Senate District 32 seat held by Lawton Republican John Michael Montgomery.
The circumstances of the “stay away” order are murky, and the school district declined to provide an explanation, but Facebook postings by Jernigan provided clues that the order was issued after a heated dispute that apparently stemmed from a paycheck issue.
In a 1-minute, 32-second post dated April 25, Jernigan recorded a video in which a security officer informed him, “I’m here to tell you that you’re not welcome back on Lawton Public Schools property, and if you show back up on any Lawton Public Schools property you will be arrested for trespassing. This is a trespassing warning.”
Jernigan was escorted out of the building by two uniformed officers. While walking down a hallway he said, “This is why there were two cop cars parked in visitor parking when I got here.”
“You have to really move past normal to get a ‘stay away’ letter,” Dr. Jason James, chief operating officer of Lawton Public Schools, told Southwest Ledger. “Parents who get ejected a second time at an OSSAA [Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association] event get one. Parents who threaten people with credible violence may get one. We see three to five a year.”
As Jernigan exited the building he said, “I just wanted to know about being a substitute.”
Jernigan post references
unemployment benefits
Text that accompanied his video reads: “During the shutdown, Lawton Public Schools paid me against my will to try and keep me from drawing my unemployment benefits. I told my supervisor [Lawton High School Activities Director] Kylee Montgomery [Senator Montgomery’s wife], the principal Charlotte Oats [Life Ready Center Director Charlotte Oates], and [Executive Director of Human Resources] Jean Hastings that it was a gross misuse of school funds to pay me and that Mrs Hastings is a fool. I was told I could resign to which I responded that I’m not under any contract and the website I use to accept jobs is down. I worked 8 years for Cactus drilling and had paid into my unemployment and then some. During the shutdown unemployment benefits went up to $1200 a week for my family. The school was forcing me to take $65 a day. I was told my character was questionable for doing what was best for my family. Since then the school has targeted me. I’ve been trying to tell the story to no avail. I’m not doing this to trash their names but to defend my own.”
Jernigan’s post includes a photo of an ID card dated June 2021, identifying him as a substitute, part-time employee.
Lynn Cordes, executive director of communications for LPS, told an attorney for the Ledger that Jernigan’s claim that “the school has targeted me” is not true.
A reporter for the Ledger called Jernigan on June 4, identified himself, and prepared to ask Jernigan about the LPS dustup, what course(s) he had taught, and to request clarification about the unemployment benefits issue.
However, Jernigan quickly said, “You have to set up an appointment.” Before the journalist could pursue the matter further, Jernigan hung up.
In a related matter, Jernigan previously posted comments on Facebook that were critical of his father-in-law; the election process; the state judiciary, Judge Tayloe in particular; KSWO-TV; the Lawton Police Department; Lawton Public Schools personnel; Lawton attorney Clay Hillis, who withdrew as Jernigan’s legal representative in the divorce proceeding; the Legislature and lobbyists; and AT&T, “the biggest crooks of all time.”