New Bern, NORTH CAROLINA

Judge Peter Mack asked both parents at the end of their testimony if they felt that their children had been physically assaulted. Both said "no."

CHARGES DISMISSED

April 30, 2008 - Philip Beeson, 53, an East Forsyth High School teacher, faces charges of assault on a female in his new school district.

Phillip Beeson taught and was an assistant football coach in Forsyth County until 1998. While there, he was one of five coaches accused of drinking alcohol on school property, and threatened

with dismissal. A spokesperson for the school district says Beeson resigned in 1998.

The Winston-Salem Journal (Apr 30) reported more on the prior accusations.

In Forsyth County, Beeson resigned from his position as a teacher and assistant football coach at East Forsyth after an incident reported in November 1998 that involved six teachers at the school. Beeson was suspended without pay when the allegations surfaced.

One of the teachers, Douglas Shields, was accused of videotaping himself having sex with two female students and showing the tapes to others. In 2001, Shields pleaded guilty to one count of disseminating obscene materials and one count of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor.

School officials said at the time that Beeson knew about Shields' conduct and failed to report it.

Beeson now teaches and coaches girls' basketball at New Bern High School in Craven County, where he was suspended with pay after allegations of inappropriate touching surfaced.

TT - Parents complained in May about the delay in addressing student complaints.

June 11 - CHARGES DISMISSED

Two misdemeanor charges of assault on female students filed by police against a New Bern High School teacher and coach were dismissed Wednesday in Craven County District court.

The teacher, Phillip Beeson, was freed of the charges after two teenage girls in the case had their attorney, Michael Mills, request that their subpoenas be quashed.

One girl's mother and one girl's father testified that neither family wanted to talk to police or press criminal charges against Beeson. Both parents said they didn't think Beeson had assaulted their daughters.

Douglas Jarman, father of one of the girls, testified that he told police that he wanted the school to handle the situation. Elizabeth Nichols, the mother of the other student, testified that the parents refused to let their daughters talk to police investigators. Both said the school system failed the students.

CHARGES DISMISSED