MIAMI, Okla. – Longtime Miami School District Baseball Coach Christopher Mercer has resigned his position with the district amidst controversy and a now-closed investigation.
Mercer, who has over 25 years of teaching and coaching experience, resigned effective Oct. 30, according to his resignation letter, which was obtained through the Oklahoma Open Records Act. Mercer did not give a reason for his resignation.
Chris-Mercer-resignation-letterDownload
However, sources close to the investigation said Mercer was suspended on Sept.16, when the school started an internal investigation. Later, on Oct. 28, the district notified Mercer that the investigation was complete and his employment with Miami Schools would be terminated effective Oct. 31. We were not able to obtain a copy of that termination letter through the state’s Open Records Act. District officials cited employment privacy laws because Mercer resigned prior to being fired.
Mercer was at the center of multiple allegations of sexual misconduct, according to sources close to the investigation. The investigation ended because the statute of limitations had expired, which prohibits filing criminal charges, according to those same sources. No criminal charges have been filed.
A voicemail left for Mercer on Tuesday was not returned.
Miami Schools Superintendent Jill Douthit declined to discuss any allegations, saying his resignation letter will be submitted to the Miami School Board during a regular meeting on Nov. 10.
According to the state Department of Education, Mercer is certified to teach physical education and health from kindergarten through 12th grade as well as Oklahoma and American History from fifth through 12th grade.
The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, Miami Police Chief Stephen Sigmon, and District Attorney Doug Pewitt said there is no investigation currently open involving Mercer.
OSBI spokesman Hunter McKee confirmed an investigation was opened concerning Miami schools, but it has since been closed. He could not comment on the specifics since no charges were filed.
When asked about the allegations, Pewitt declined to comment other than to say his office takes claims of sexual misconduct against children seriously and encourages residents to file a police report if their child has been sexually assaulted.
Chris Mercer – Miami School District website, Wardog Athletics page
Protect Our Kids Act
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed “The Protect Our Kids Act” into law on May 22. The law included an emergency clause, which means it took effect immediately.
The law has closed long-standing gaps in the way school districts report staff misconduct, particularly in cases where a teacher or administrator resigns during an ongoing investigation. Now, the investigation must be reported to the State Department of Education, even if the person resigns.
Before this law, if a teacher or administrator resigned during an investigation into serious misconduct, there was no requirement to finish or report the process. Educators could then move to another district without accountability.
Mercer taught at Miami High School from 1996 to 2013, then left for Baxter Springs, Kan., where he stayed until 2020, after which he returned to Miami.
Throughout his career Mercer won multiple awards. In 2016 while at Baxter Springs, he was named Kansas Coach of the Year, and in 2007 while at Miami, Mercer won Oklahoma State Coach of the Year. Other awards include Three Rivers Coach of the Year in 2005, and Conference Coach of the Year in 2002.
When contacted, Bailey Woolsey, a state Department of Education spokeswoman, said her office is researching the matter and will provide updates as soon as she has the requested information.
Former Miami teacher charged with having sex with former student
Another former Miami teacher accused of sexual misconduct
After the arrest and convictions of former Miami teachers, Ronald Sanders and Kanyen Cole, Douthit has been very vocal about the seriousness of background checks and investigations of misconduct allegations.
Ronald Sanders
Sanders, who is now serving a 30-year federal prison sentence for sexually assaulting a student, hopped around to 12 different schools in 23 years before his arrest in 2023.
Cole, 29, pleaded guilty and was sentenced for sexual battery and three counts of soliciting sexual conduct or communication with a minor by use of technology, all felonies. He served 90 days in the Ottawa County jail and received a 10-year suspended sentence in exchange for his guilty plea.
Kanyen Derris Cole
Before hiring Cole, who was a young coach, Miami school leaders received a glowing recommendation from Sand Springs school officials, who even said they would rehire Cole.
Unbeknownst to Miami school leaders, he was previously under investigation by the Sand Springs School District and Sand Springs Police Department for sexual misconduct with female students.
Mercer has not been charged and is considered innocent until proven guilty.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.