Jefferson County Schools Personnel Director Arrested On Child Sex, Pornography Charges

 ========= Old Image Removed =========Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2016/07/brett_kirkham.jpg
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:1189;s:6:"height";i:700;s:4:"file";s:25:"2016/07/brett_kirkham.jpg";s:5:"sizes";a:12:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"brett_kirkham-336x198.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:198;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:5:"large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"brett_kirkham-771x454.jpg";s:5:"width";i:771;s:6:"height";i:454;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"brett_kirkham-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:12:"medium_large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"brett_kirkham-768x452.jpg";s:5:"width";i:768;s:6:"height";i:452;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:23:"brett_kirkham-80x80.jpg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"brett_kirkham-600x338.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:338;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"brett_kirkham-600x600.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"brett_kirkham-528x311.jpg";s:5:"width";i:528;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"brett_kirkham-450x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:450;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:28:"ab-block-post-grid-landscape";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"brett_kirkham-600x400.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:400;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:25:"ab-block-post-grid-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"brett_kirkham-600x600.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"brett_kirkham-125x125.jpg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}}s:10:"image_meta";a:12:{s:8:"aperture";s:1:"0";s:6:"credit";s:0:"";s:6:"camera";s:0:"";s:7:"caption";s:0:"";s:17:"created_timestamp";s:1:"0";s:9:"copyright";s:0:"";s:12:"focal_length";s:1:"0";s:3:"iso";s:1:"0";s:13:"shutter_speed";s:1:"0";s:5:"title";s:0:"";s:11:"orientation";s:1:"0";s:8:"keywords";a:0:{}}}
        )

    [_imagify_optimization_level] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1
        )

    [_imagify_data] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:2:{s:5:"stats";a:3:{s:13:"original_size";i:346368;s:14:"optimized_size";i:227831;s:7:"percent";d:34.219999999999999;}s:5:"sizes";a:9:{s:4:"full";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:53:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/07/brett_kirkham.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:117343;s:14:"optimized_size";i:72153;s:7:"percent";d:38.509999999999998;}s:9:"thumbnail";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:61:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/07/brett_kirkham-140x140.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:6578;s:14:"optimized_size";i:4867;s:7:"percent";d:26.010000000000002;}s:6:"medium";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:61:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/07/brett_kirkham-336x198.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:19778;s:14:"optimized_size";i:14713;s:7:"percent";d:25.609999999999999;}s:5:"large";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:61:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/07/brett_kirkham-771x454.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:65926;s:14:"optimized_size";i:41410;s:7:"percent";d:37.189999999999998;}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:61:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/07/brett_kirkham-600x338.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:43925;s:14:"optimized_size";i:29687;s:7:"percent";d:32.409999999999997;}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:61:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/07/brett_kirkham-300x300.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:19175;s:14:"optimized_size";i:12774;s:7:"percent";d:33.380000000000003;}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:61:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/07/brett_kirkham-528x311.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:37598;s:14:"optimized_size";i:25497;s:7:"percent";d:32.189999999999998;}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:61:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/07/brett_kirkham-450x265.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:30392;s:14:"optimized_size";i:22554;s:7:"percent";d:25.789999999999999;}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:61:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/07/brett_kirkham-125x125.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:5653;s:14:"optimized_size";i:4176;s:7:"percent";d:26.129999999999999;}}}
        )

    [_imagify_status] => Array
        (
            [0] => success
        )

)
1654076696 
1467371264

The director of personnel for Jefferson County Schools was arrested this week in Tuscaloosa and charged with engaging in a sex act with a student and with possession of child pornography.

Authorities say Brett Kirkham, director of human resources for Jefferson County Schools, is charged with having a sex with a juvenile, during the years he worked as an educator in Hueytown. A complaint from the juvenile two weeks ago led authorities to confiscate Kirkham’s computers, and more charges could come, says Bill Veitch, District Attorney for the Bessemer Cutoff.

“The investigation is ongoing and we’ve got a long way to go in analyzing things that we found, things that we suspect and things that we’ve been told,” Veitch says.

Kirkham, who’s on paid leave with Jefferson County Schools, has been a teacher, assistant principal and principal in addition to his work as director of human resources.

Veitch says several images and illicit material were on Kirkham’s devices. Incidents alleged in Kirkham’s case may have started as early as middle school and continued in high school.

 

 

 

Hamas seeks changes to Gaza ceasefire proposal but US envoy calls it ‘unacceptable’

Hamas said it was seeking last minute changes to a 60-day ceasefire plan backed by the U.S. and approved by Israel. U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff dismissed the changes as "totally unacceptable."

The Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder will meet in the NBA Finals

It would be the first NBA title for either of the two energetic fan bases and their exciting young teams. The Thunder, led by newly minted league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, is the early favorite.

Skulls once subject to racist study in Germany are laid to rest in New Orleans

A memorial and jazz funeral honored 19 Black Americans, whose remains were recently repatriated from Germany where they were used for racial research in the late 1800s.

‘We all are going to die’: Sen. Ernst offers bleak response to grilling over Medicaid

The Republican senator offered a glib response to constituent questions at a town hall regarding cuts to Medicaid under the Trump-endorsed One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

An immigration raid at a San Diego restaurant leads to a chaotic scene

Videos show armed agents in tactical gear, a crowd of locals and what appear to be smoke devices deployed.

Greetings from Warsaw, Poland, where the flags are flying ahead of a key election

Far-Flung Postcards is a weekly series in which NPR's international correspondents share snapshots of moments from their lives and work around the world.

More Education Coverage