A school superintendent from western Nebraska faces a serious felony charge following an altercation with a student over a cowboy hat, leading to the boy falling to the ground.
Mark Bejot, who oversees the Maywood School District, was placed on administrative leave after being charged with child abuse on Monday, relating to an incident that took place on October 1 in the school’s common area.

According to Frontier County Sheriff Michael Jordan, Bejot has claimed that the student accidentally fell from a stool, but video footage seems to suggest otherwise. The video reportedly shows Bejot pulling the child off the stool as he reached for the cowboy hat.
The sheriff became aware of the incident after the boy’s mother contacted him, leading to further investigation.

Bejot has posted a $5,000 bond, allowing him to remain out of custody while awaiting his scheduled hearing in November. As of now, court documents indicate that he has not yet secured legal representation.
The sheriff noted that Bejot’s account of the incident conflicted with the version shared by the boy’s family, prompting further scrutiny.
After reviewing the surveillance footage, Sheriff Jordan felt it was necessary to refer the case to the Nebraska Attorney General’s office, which subsequently decided to file charges.

Attempts to reach Bejot for comment were unsuccessful; a phone number associated with him in the small town—home to roughly 250 residents—was not functioning, and he did not respond to emails.
Bejot related to the sheriff that the boy had initially refused to take off his hat and purposely placed it out of reach.
He maintained that the child fell from the stool while he was trying to grab the hat and claimed that the boy then threatened him before leaving the area to call his father.

However, Sheriff Jordan described the surveillance footage as troubling, indicating that Bejot appeared to leap for the hat after the boy removed it. The video allegedly shows Bejot grabbing the child by the armpits, pulling him down, and pushing his shoulders down while attempting to take the hat from him.
Following this encounter, the boy stood up and raised his fist toward Bejot before going outside to make a phone call.

When Sheriff Jordan confronted Bejot regarding the alarming nature of the footage, Bejot insisted, “I did not hurt that kid,” as noted in the sheriff’s affidavit.
However, Jordan pointed out that the video did not reflect well on Bejot without additional context.

In a statement, the Maywood School Board confirmed Bejot’s administrative leave but stated they could not provide further specifics due to the matter being classified as personnel-related.
The board expressed its commitment to maintaining a safe environment for all students within the district.