Man arrested after entering Wichita school to speak to girl
A man is in police custody after going to a Wichita school twice earlier this week, including once to speak with a 13-year-old girl without her parents’ permission.
Not long after classes began at Gordon Parks Academy on Monday morning, Wichita police said a 36-year-old man entered the school and spoke with a 13-year-old girl without her parents’ knowledge. The student was in the office with other adults when the man spoke with her and left, Wichita Public Schools spokesperson Susan Arensman said. He did not attempt to check the student out of school, Arensman said, and staff contacted police to investigate.
The next day, the man returned to the middle school. He was told to leave immediately, a Wichita police press release said, and school staff called the police.
On Wednesday, police arrested the man on suspicion of stalking. He also will not be allowed into any Wichita schools, police said. The Wichita Eagle does not name suspects unless they are formally charged.
News of the arrest came after a widely shared online post criticized police and the district for not taking action. In a Facebook post, a woman who said she was the student’s aunt said the district broke protocol and that “Wichita Public Schools and Gordon Parks Academy failed us on multiple levels.”
“There has been no public acknowledgment, no reassurance to families, no clear explanation of what will change so this NEVER happens again,” she wrote. “... Our children are supposed to be safe at school. Until the district and WPD treat this as the serious violation it is, every parent at Gordon Parks Academy – and across Wichita – should be asking hard questions and refusing to accept silence as an answer.”
She could not immediately be reached for comment.
Arensman confirmed that protocols for determining which visitors should have direct contact with students were not followed, and she said the district investigated and took steps to prevent it from happening again. But she said other claims in the Facebook post were not accurate.
“For example, the person didn’t enter through the GraceMed clinic,” Arensman said. “He didn’t try to check out the student.”
In a message to parents, the district said “all children were kept safe,” that no one was harmed, no students were checked out of the building and no attempt was made to check a student out. Arensman said the district addressed the visitors-protocol lapse with the staff involved and reviewed proper procedures.
“The safety and well-being of every child in our care is our highest priority, and we remain committed to maintaining the standards you expect and deserve,” the message said.
This story was originally published March 11, 2026 at 10:28 PM.
