Award-winning duPont Manual High journalism teacher arrested on child pornography charges

Maggie Menderski, Olivia Krauth and Krista Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal
·2 min read
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James Miller

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A well-known former journalism teacher at duPont Manual High School has been arrested in Mississippi on child pornography charges.

James H. Miller, 50, was charged Wednesday in Jefferson Circuit Court with two counts of promoting a sex performance by a minor under 16 years of age and two counts of possession of matter portraying a sex performance by a minor, according to court documents.

The charges stem from two videos authorities say were found on Miller's phone where he allegedly was filming a minor undressing, according to an email from First Assistant Erwin Roberts of the Commonwealth's Attorney Office.

Roberts said "no public school children were involved," but he didn't provide more information.

A no-contact order was also issued Monday ordering Miller to stay away from the victim.

Miller did not show for his arraignment in Louisville Tuesday morning, but he was arrested in Mississippi before being released on bond.

His arraignment has been pushed to June 13, his attorney, Scott Cox, said Tuesday evening.

On March 10, Miller submitted his letter of resignation to duPont Manual Principal Michael Newman.

"One of the greatest, most challenging, and most fulfilling tasks of my life has been working at duPont Manual, my alma mater," he wrote in his resignation letter. "Unfortunately, and with great regret, I must submit my resignation, effective April 13, 2022, due to personal circumstances beyond my control."

Reached Sunday evening, JCPS spokeswoman Carolyn Callahan did not know if Miller had been under district investigation when he resigned.

While his resignation was effective mid-April, she said Miller had not been in a classroom since Jan. 12. She said she did not know if Miller was under district investigation when he left the classroom.

Student journalists at Manual said on social media Miller left abruptly in January. They were told he was on leave to handle family matters.

Typically, JCPS reassigns teachers to non-instructional roles if they know they are under investigation by the district or law enforcement. JCPS personnel documents show no record of Miller being reassigned to a non-instructional role, and Miller's formal resignation paperwork shows he was still assigned to work at Manual when he resigned in spring.

It is district practice to delay internal investigations until after police investigations are completed. JCPS will still pull teachers from classrooms pending investigations.

Callahan said counselors will be available to Manual students and staff beginning Tuesday.

Miller's journalism students have won several awards, including the prestigious Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award and the inaugural RFK New Voices award for their 2020 series "Bigoted Badges," exposing Kentucky State Police's use of Nazi imagery and Hitler quotes in their training materials.

This story will be updated.

Olivia Krauth can be reached a okrauth@gannett.com. Reporter Maggie Menderski can be reached at mmenderski@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Former duPont Manual teacher now facing child pornography charges