Former teacher pleads guilty to harassment

A former Wasson High School substitute teacher pleaded guilty Wednesday to harassment for propositioning a 15-year-old male student.

Lloyd Clark Jr., 73, pleaded guilty to a charge of misdemeanor harassment, unlawful conduct on public property, as part of an agreement with prosecutors. A felony charge of solicitation for child prostitution was dropped, court records show.

Colorado Springs police investigators said Clark - known as "Gramps" to many students - offered to pay the boy $1,000 to allow Clark to perform oral sex on the boy.

Police later had the student call the teacher and taped Clark arranging a time and place for him to meet the student and pay him $20 for sex, the arrest affidavit states.

Clark could have faced up to life in prison had he been convicted of the felony.

Fourth Judicial District Judge Gregory Werner sentenced Clark to one year of supervised probation, ordered him to relinquish his teaching certificate for a year and ordered that he have no contact with anyone younger than 18 years old except family members.

Clark's attorney, Mark Rue, did not return a call seeking comment Wednesday.

A Colorado Springs School District 11 spokeswoman said Wednesday Clark no longer teaches for any district schools.

Clark was the second former teacher this week to be accused of felony sexual misconduct with a student, then to plead guilty to a non-sex-related misdemeanor. A former Lewis-Palmer Middle School teacher and girls basketball coach, Gregory Jackson, pleaded guilty to harassment Monday after being charged with felony sexual assault on a child.

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Contact the writer: dennis.huspeni@gazette.com or 636-0110.