Man accused of stalking Gordon Parks student wants out of jail without paying bail
A 36-year-old Wichita man charged with having unauthorized contact with a middle school-aged girl at Gordon Parks Academy last month wants out of jail without paying bail.
Michael D. Arnold is asking the judge presiding over his misdemeanor stalking case to modify his bond so he can be released from the Sedgwick County Jail on his own recognizance, which would allow him to go free solely on his promise to show up to his court hearings and follow any other rules set.
Currently, his bond is set at $50,000.
In an April 9 motion filed by his lawyer, Arnold asked to be released “in order to best aid in the preparation of his defense” and because he has unspecified “diagnosed health issues that are best for him to deal with on supervised release.”
Attorney Andrew Thompson wrote that Arnold has several family members “willing and ready to aid” him in being successful on supervised release and that Arnold “understands his responsibility to abide by” court orders barring him from contacting the girl and her home, all Wichita Public Schools locations and other prosecution witnesses.
“Mr. Arnold is not a threat to the community,” the motion argues.
Thompson declined to comment Wednesday.
Arnold, who has pleaded not guilty, was arrested after authorities say he went into Gordon Parks Academy twice — on March 9 after being buzzed in by office staff and again on March 10 after following another person into the building. Wichita Public Schools has acknowledged that the school failed to follow visitor protocols on March 9 when Arnold asked to speak with the 13-year-old student and was allowed to have direct verbal and physical contact with her without her parents’ consent or knowledge.
School staff asked him to leave and called police when he returned the next day, the school district has said.
Arnold had previously worked for the district as a para and a Future Ready advocate in fall 2024 but resigned after about two months, according to the district.
Gordon Parks Academy, 2201 E. 25th St. North, is one of the district’s K-8 schools, meaning it serves both elementary and middle schoolers.
A court hearing on Arnold’s request to modify his bond is scheduled for Thursday afternoon, court records show.
He has a bench trial scheduled for May 20.
