Former Teacher of the Year pleads not guilty to sex charges

EXETER, N.H. — A former admissions officer at an elite New Hampshire prep school who went on to become a Teacher of the Year at another school has pleaded not guilty to sexual abuse charges.

Seventy-four-year-old Arthur Peekel was charged with two misdemeanors from his time at Phillips Exeter Academy. He's accused of assaulting Lawrence Jenkens when the then-14-year-old visited the school in 1973.

Peekel went on to teach in Illinois, where he was named Teacher of the Year in 1992. Officials at Rolling Meadows High School said they were unaware of the Exeter allegations when they hired him and that no allegations had been made against him there.

The Associated Press generally doesn't name people who say they're victims of sexual abuse, but Jenkens said he wanted to discuss his case publicly.

Upcoming Events