The Muldrow Board of Education accepted the resignation of school superintendent Leon Ashlock during a special meeting on Oct. 11, and then voted to hire former superintendent Roger Sharp as his replacement during a second special meeting on Oct. 17.

The school board met on Oct. 11 where they made a motion not to go into executive session to discuss Ashlock’s resignation of employment, so that they could vote on whether or not to accept it, and return to open session.

The board then unanimously agreed to accept Ashlock’s resignation, dated Oct. 9 and effective as of Nov. 1.

Following a second special meeting on Oct. 17, the board voted once again not to go into executive session to discuss the employment of a new superintendent for the remainder of the 2024-25 school year.

Chad Sutton then made a motion, followed by a second motion from Darin Huggins, to hire Sharp as school superintendent with all other board members voting in favor.

In addition, Ashlock was removed and/or revoked from all school district purchasing authorizations with Sharp being named in his place.

The board also agreed to an annual school election, approving a resolution and authorizing Sharp to file the appropriate papers with the Election Board, notice to the newspaper, and approve printing of ballots.

Ashlock came under fire after he was arrested and booked into the Tulsa County jail on charges of driving under the influence and transporting an open container following an accident on the Creek Turnpike.

Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP) reported they received a call after Ashlock, 47, struck a concrete barrier and got a flat tire, but continued driving. State police said an off-duty firefighter witnessed Ashlock’s driving and contacted authorities, while continuing to follow him. The damaged tire finally caused Ashlock to pull over on Yale Ave.

According to reports, two 375 ml bottles of cinnamon schnapps were found in the interior of the vehicle. One of the bottles was completely empty, while the other still yielded a few ounces.

Authorities reported that Ashlock was unsteady on his feet, had red and watery eyes, and seemed confused, stating he couldn’t tell officers why he was in Tulsa, where he’d been, or where he was headed.

Ashlock was also reported as being lethargic, failing all sobriety tests that were presented to him; and then refusing to take a breathalyzer.

OHP contacted school officials because Ashlock was driving a SUV belonging to the school district. He was released on a $1,100 bond following his arrest.

This news story is based on the unofficial minutes from the board meeting and could be in error if the minutes are changed prior to adoption.