TIFS Investigates: Father of Beebe Middle School Student seeking access to video of "touching" incident

A determined father in Beebe is locked in a legal battle with a local school district to obtain surveillance footage he says captures a teacher inappropriately touching his young daughter, highlighting growing concerns over transparency and child safety in public education.

Rocky Geldien, a Beebe resident, detailed his ordeal in a viral Facebook post on September 10 describing a contentious meeting with school officials where he viewed the alleged incident but was barred from recording it.

"Today I had a meeting with a school in attempts to obtain the video footage showing Mr. Belew inappropriately touching my child," Geldien wrote. "They showed me the video but told me I was not allowed to record it. I filed a freedom of information act to obtain the footage and they are consulting with their lawyers. They tried to get me to sign a document stating I was not allowed to show the video to anyone, I respectfully declined."

Geldien, who has vowed to share the footage publicly once obtained, emphasized his intent to counter skeptics who have dismissed his daughter's account.

"Once I have the footage, I will be posting it for all the people who have told me my daughter was lying," he added. "I’m hoping to spread awareness to this situation and how the school system is only interested in protecting themselves. Make sure to talk to your children, ask questions. Most kids won’t just openly talk about it."

The post quickly garnered support from the community.

The incident reportedly involves Johnny Belew, identified as a fifth and sixth grade teacher at a Beebe middle school, Reportedly, Belew wrapped his arms around the waist of a fifth grade girl, picked her up and said, “she’s cute, I think I’ll keep her”.

Once source said Belew had "resigned" but aas of 6pm Saturday he is still listed as a teacher on the district website.

Under Arkansas' Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), public entities like school districts are required to release records unless they fall under exemptions such as ongoing investigations or privacy concerns. Geldien's FOIA request, filed during the meeting, is now under legal review by the district's attorneys, a process that could take days or weeks.

As the FOIA battle unfolds, Geldien's story has sparked local rallies and online petitions demanding swift action from Beebe officials, including an independent investigation and potential disciplinary measures against Belew.

This story is developing; updates will follow as more details emerge from the district or legal proceedings.