A former Prairie Park Elementary School speech pathologist pleaded not guilty Monday to charges of sex crimes against students, and the court set his jury trial date: January 2027.
Mark Gridley, 62, is charged with seven counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, each with an alternative charge of battery, and seven counts of kidnapping.
Douglas County District Judge Amy Hanley ruled following a two-day preliminary hearing in October that there was sufficient evidence for Gridley to face a jury trial.
During the hearing, prosecutors shared video and audio recordings of interviews between the Children’s Advocacy Center and the seven alleged victims. They were all girls in second through fifth grades at Prairie Park at the time of the alleged abuse.
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Read details of the allegations and more about the evidence presented during the hearing in the articles linked below.
The trial will last a full three weeks to allow enough time to conduct jury selection and present all of the evidence, Hanley said.
Under the Kansas Constitution, the judge needs to schedule a trial for someone who is out on bond within 180 days of their arraignment. However, Gridley waived his right to a speedy trial.
The jury trial will begin Monday, Jan. 4, 2027 and run for three consecutive weeks, concluding Friday, Jan. 22, 2027. The trial will start at 9 a.m. each day.
There will be a full day of motion hearings starting at 9 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 19. The second date for motion hearings, plus a status conference, will be 1 to 5 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 17.
Gridley was released from the Douglas County jail on Aug. 14 on a $750,000 surety bond. He has several pretrial conditions in place, including that he is not to have contact with any of the alleged victims or their families.
Defendants in criminal cases should be presumed not guilty unless they are convicted.
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Wulfe Wulfemeyer (they/them), reporter and news editor, has worked with The Lawrence Times since May 2025. They can be reached at wulfe@lawrencekstimes.com.
Read their complete bio here. Read their work for the Times here.
More coverage:
Courtney Lane/Lawrence TimesJan. 2027 jury trial set for former Lawrence school speech pathologist charged with child sex crimes
Wulfe Wulfemeyer/Lawrence Times
Maya Hodison/Lawrence Times
Resources for survivors
If you have experienced sexual violence or trauma, please seek the help that’s right for you. There are many options available, and you don’t have to file a police report if you don’t want to.
Get 24/7 help in Lawrence: The Sexual Trauma & Abuse Care Center
- Call 785-843-8985 to reach an advocate, 24/7. (Consider saving that number in your phone in case you or someone you know ever needs it.)
- After an assault: What are my options? Check this page for detailed information about
- talking to an advocate,
- going to the hospital,
- making a police report,
- and/or talking to a counselor or therapist.
Resources on university campuses:
- KU: Contact CARE (Campus Assistance, Resource, and Education) Services: University of Kansas students can make an appointment online at careservices.ku.edu, by email, care@ku.edu, or by calling 785-864-9255. It’s free, confidential and voluntary to talk with the CARE Coordinator. All genders welcome. Read more here.
- Find more KU campus resources at this link. Specific information about sexual assault exams can be found under the “Medical Care” tab.
- Haskell: Find information about Haskell’s campus advocate coordinator and links to additional local, regional and tribal resources at this link.
- Baker: Find Baker University’s Title IX page at this link.
Domestic violence situations: The Willow Domestic Violence Center
- Reach the Willow for help 24/7 at 785-843-3333.
- Find more resources on the Willow’s website at this link.
More resources
- The Children’s Advocacy Center of Douglas County offers support and resources for children and families affected by child abuse. See their website at cacdouglas.org, call them at 785-592-3160 or stop by their office at 1009 New Hampshire St. in Lawrence.
- StrongHearts Native Helpline: Call 1-844-7NATIVE (762-8483) for 24/7 safe, confidential and anonymous domestic and sexual violence support for Native Americans and Alaska Natives that is culturally appropriate.
- National hotline: Call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), text “START” to 88788, and/or visit thehotline.org to chat and learn more, 24/7.
Latest Lawrence news:
Maya Smith/Lawrence Times
Courtney Lane/Lawrence Times
