The jury trial for former Broken Arrow elementary teacher, Edward Lee Hodge, starts on Monday at the Tulsa County District Court.
Hodge is accused of seven counts of lewd molestation for allegedly touching female students inappropriately.
2 Works for You's Gitzel Puente is live from the Tulsa courthouse with more.
BEEN PREPARING FOR THIS DAYIN COURT.THE DEFENDANT..FIFTY-FIVE-YEAR-OLD EDWARDHODGE..
IS FACING SERIOUSALLEGATIONS OF TOUCHINGSTUDENTS INAPPROPRIATELY...ALL OF THEM GIRLS.
HE WAS AFIFTH GRADE TEACHER AT"ASPEN CREEK ELEMENTARY" INBROKEN ARROW... AND WASNAMED THE 2015 TO 2016"TEACHER OF THE YEAR."HOWEVER..
IN JUNE OF 2018..HE WAS ARRESTED ON MULTIPLECOUNTS OF LEWD MOLESTATION.HE RESIGNED SHORTLY AFTERHIS SUSPENSION AND PLEADEDNOT GUILTY... AND HAS BEENOUT ON BOND.
SEVERALSTUDENTS HAVE ALREADY COMEFORWARD AGAINST HODGE,TESTIFYING AT A PRELIMINARYHEARING IN 20-18.
THEVICTIMS ARE BETWEEN THE AGESOF TEN AND TWELVE.LEWD MOLESTATION IN OKLAHOMAIS A SERIOUS CRIME THAT CANCARRY AMINIMUM OF 25 YEARS INPRISON IF THE VICTIM ISYOUNGER THAN TWELVE.REPORTING FROM DOWNTOWNTULSA, GP, 2WFY.