By John Dobberstein, Editor
A Broken Arrow High School football coach who was arrested on drug charges is no longer employed by the school district.
The Broken Arrow Public Schools confirmed Thursday that Pearlie Deshawn Graves had been released from employment. The district did not comment specifically about his dismissal but said earlier this month his future employment depended on the outcome of a criminal investigation and an internal review by human resources officials.
Graves was charged Aug. 1 with one count of illegal possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver. He has pleaded not guilty and bond was set at $10,000. A preliminary hearing is slated for Sept. 6.
Graves was hired last September as a “behavior coach” and 9th grade football coach and was tapped this summer to serve as the defensive line coach for the high school team, according to BAPS.
“Our standard practice is to run a background check, including fingerprinting, on all new hires, and this was also part of the process when hiring Mr. Graves,” Thompson said.
The district has also been asked about Graves’ charge for driving with an expired/improper tag from 2016, for which he also plead guilty. But since Graves wasn’t driving a school bus or district vehicle, no check was run on his drivers license, per district rules.
In 2017, Graves was arrested and charged with misdemeanor threatening violence. He pled guilty and sentencing was deferred for 1 year. In 2014, he was arrested and charged with three counts of domestic assault and battery, but the case was dismissed at the request of prosecutors pending further investigation.
According to media reports and court records, Graves, 34, came under suspicion from officers while Tulsa police were investigating alleged illegal drug activity by Deandre Marquis Bullard.
Bullard, a Tulsa resident, was arrested in April on charges of possessing a firearm while under Department of Corrections supervision, trafficking illegal drugs, unlawful possession of illegal drugs with intent to deliver, acquiring proceeds from drug activity and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
He entered a guilty plea on July 18 and was sentenced to 15 years in prison on each count, with the sentences running concurrently. The suspended sentence he received in 2022 for illegal possession of a firearm was also revoked due to the July conviction and he was sentenced to 6 years in prison to be served concurrently with the July sentence.
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