Assault, sex-related charges dropped against former WCHS Athletic Director

Michael Campbell

Assault and sex related charges in Baltimore, Maryland against former Whitley County High School Athletic Director Mike Campbell are being dropped. Campbell will be allowed to return to work for the school district as soon as he decides to do so, but in a different capacity than he was employed nearly a year ago when he was first charged, a school official said late Friday afternoon.

Paul Croley, one of Campbell’s attorneys, said in a news release that a veteran prosecutor for the City of Baltimore announced in court Friday afternoon that they were abandoning the prosecution of Campbell.

He was facing charges of first-degree, second-degree and fourth-degree sex offense and second-degree assault in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City.

This means that the indictment is now terminated and results in the end of the prosecution, the release noted.

Under Maryland law, the prosecution may enter a Nol Prosse, which is a legal phrase meaning "a discontinuance of a prosecution by the authorized government prosecutor," Croley said.

"I want to personally thank my family, friends, this community and all the people who believed in me and supported me throughout this terrible ordeal," Campbell said in the news release. "I have always maintained my innocence against these false charges. I am thankful the judicial system worked in my case and protected me from these untrue accusations. Paul Croley, Tim Gunning and B.J. Foley, my attorneys, made the State of Maryland prove these false claims. Ultimately, the State of Maryland realized they did not have a case."

Croley added that this has been a life changing and extremely difficult situation for Campbell to endure, and that Campbell has maintained his complete innocence from the very beginning.

"It’s easy to make allegations against someone. These types of allegations can ruin people’s lives. Fortunately, our legal system requires the state to prove its case," Croley said. "In the media frenzy-sound bite driven era that we currently live, people forget that a criminal charge is nothing more than an unproven allegation.

"All too often, people rush to judge someone simply based upon what they see or hear in the news. Every person should have their day in court. For Michael Campbell, the nightmare is now officially over. He stood his ground and forced the State of Maryland to prove the charges had merit. Although it took 11 months, the state realized it had no case."

Baltimore Police Detective Jeremy Silbert said that on Jan 21, police received a call from a hospital reporting a sexual assault.

"When we arrived, we found a 23-year-old woman, who told us that her mother’s finance had sexually assaulted her on the night before," Silbert said.

The assault allegedly took place on Jan. 20 in the 1000 block of Hunter Street in Baltimore.

"The victim tells officers she was sexually assaulted by Michael Campbell. After our investigation was concluded, our detectives did arrest him," Silbert said.

Campbell was initially charged with second-degree rape, first and second-degree assault and second, third and fourth-degree sex offenses, but a grand jury opted not to indict him on the second-degree rape, first-degree assault or third-degree sex offense charges. The grand jury did add a first-degree sex offense charge when the indictment was returned.

Campbell, 49, spent 47 nights behind bars in the Baltimore City Detention Center before being released after posting 10 percent cash of a $150,000 bond on March 7.

Campbell was placed on an unpaid administrative leave of absence from his position as Whitley County High School Athletic Director effective the day of his arrest, and has remained so since.

John Siler initially served as acting athletic director in Campbell’s absence, and on July 1 officially became the athletic director.

"The athletic director’s job does not exist as it did in the form when Mike Campbell had it," Whitley County Superintendent Scott Paul said late Friday afternoon. "It is actually an extra duty assignment now. It is no longer a full-time position. It is attached to the facilities manager position, which is now occupied by John Siler."

Campbell has been assigned for this school year as transportation manager at the Whitley County Bus Garage.
Paul isn’t sure when Campbell will return to work, but said that he is free to do so at any time.

"I’m not really sure when he will return right now, but there is nothing on our end preventing him from coming back to work," Paul added.

Campbell served as the head coach of the Whitley County High School Football Team for 17 years before resigning after the 2005 season with a career record of 118-68 and becoming the school’s athletic director.

In late 2005, Campbell filed to run for Whitley County Judge-Executive. He garnered 1,863 votes in the Republican Primary the following year and finished third behind former Judge-Executive Leroy Gilbert, who had 2,253 votes, and current Judge-Executive Pat White Jr., who received 3,914 votes.