A judge won't recuse himself from a case linked to the school child abuse scandal in Perry, even though his daughter-in-law works with the defendants.
The Oklahoman reports that Judge Nikki G. Leach on Thursday denied prosecutors' request to remove himself from the case involving Upper Elementary School math teacher Jeffrey Sullins.
Sullins and the school's principal, Kenda Miller, are charged with misdemeanors for allegedly failing to promptly report child abuse after several girls levied accusations against teaching assistant Arnold Cowen. Cowen is now facing 18 counts of lewd or indecent proposals or acts on a child.
Prosecutors say Leach's daughter-in-law "directly recruited" Cowen to volunteer at the school, and that the judge has shown bias to Sullins.
Leach recused himself from Cowen's case, but not Sullins' case. A similar recusal request is pending in Miller's case.