State champion Kentucky track coach accused of placing recording device in school bathroom

A teacher and track and field coach at Murray High School was arrested Thursday and accused of putting a recording device in a school bathroom.

Thursday around 12:40 p.m., the Murray Police Department reported to the school due to suspected criminal activity by a teacher that was reported by staff at the Western Kentucky high school, a release from the police department said.

School staff found a device that was able to record video in a nurse’s bathroom, police said. The device was set up to video individuals while they were changing clothes, according to the release.

Mark Boggess, a 52-year-old health and physical education teacher at the school, was identified from the video as setting it in place, police said.

Boggess was brought in for questioning and taken into custody after information obtained from the staff and from the interview. He has been charged with three counts of possession or viewing of matter portraying a sexual performance by a minor and four counts of voyeurism.

Murray Independent School District Superintendent Coy Sammons confirmed an arrest of a school employee and said the employee has been suspended with pay pending further examination.

“I want to assure our MISD families that when unfortunate events such as this occur, I will take action to protect our students and staff,” Sammons said in a statement. “The situation in no way defines Murray Independent Schools. Over 250 dedicated employees report to work on a daily basis to provide the educational and emotional support that our students deserve. This incident was addressed swiftly through a coordinated effort of Murray Independent Schools and the Murray Police Department.”

A 1984 graduate of Murray High School, Boggess was inducted into the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2017. He coached the Murray girls’ track and field team to back-to-back Class A KHSAA state championships in 2016 and 2017.

Boggess has been placed in the Calloway County Detention Center.

This story was originally published April 26, 2019 at 9:04 AM with the headline "State champion Kentucky track coach accused of placing recording device in school bathroom."