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Brad Barbour

School board president arrested on DUI charge
By Chris Strunk
Last Updated: January 23, 2020

Brad Barbour, president and longtime member of the Valley Center school board, was arrested in northwest Wichita Jan. 12 on charges of DUI and no vehicle liability insurance.

Barbour was booked into the Sedgwick County Jail, but was later released.

Barbour also was ticketed for improper driving on a laned road and improper turn or approach. He was arrested by the Kansas Highway Patrol, which worked the investigation, in the 3100 block of North Maize Road.

The News discovered the arrest after a routine review of the jail booking logs this week.

Barbour told The News that he has not been convicted of any crimes and said he has not decided whether to remain on the board or to resign.

"It just felt like it was OK to drive," he said. "I thought I was good. Like I said, I'm not convicted yet. None of that has gone through the courts."

Barbour will have his first appearance on the charges in Sedgwick County District Court on Feb. 11.

Barbour has been on the Valley Center school board since 2009. He was re-elected in 2013 and began serving his third four-year term in 2017.

Barbour was vice president of the board from 2012 to 2014 and president from 2014 to 2016 and 2018 to the present.

When contacted by The News, a patrol dispatcher referred questions about the case to the trooper who worked the investigation. However, the trooper was not available.

In an interview with The News on Jan. 17, Barbour detailed some of the specifics of the arrest.

Barbour said he went to Emerson Biggin's Sports Bar and Grill on Jan. 12 in the 2300 block of North Maize Road to watch the Kansas City Chiefs football game and eat dinner with a couple of friends. The Chiefs game started at 2 p.m.

"I had a few beers," he said. "I obviously didn't think it was too many. That's it. We'll let the process play out and see how it all turns out. Right now I'm just ticketed. I'm not charged or anything yet."

After the game was over, Barbour left the restaurant by himself to go home.

A trooper pulled Barbour's vehicle over in the 3100 block of North Maize Road. Barbour was put through a field sobriety test and was arrested.

Barbour also is accused of driving his truck over the center line of the road.

"I drive on the center line all the time," he said. "That's what he said he caught me on. That's all it was."

Barbour said he thinks the improper turn charge was when he was pulling over.

Barbour said his truck is insured, but the trooper would not let him show the insurance card.

"He was a very aggressive officer, let's just put it that way … very aggressive," Barbour said. "Of course, I cooperated."

Barbour took a breathalyzer test at the jail. He was booked into jail, but he said he was released about midnight on his own recognizance, meaning he did not have to post bond.

Barbour told The News that he didn't know how many beers he drank.

He said it was the first time he had been arrested or even pulled over for possible drinking and driving.

He said he's never been convicted of anything worse than a traffic ticket.

Barbour said he doesn't have a problem with alcohol.

"I never have," he said. "I think maybe we need to wait and let the process play out and see what happens."

Barbour refused to reveal to The News the results of the breathalyzer test. The trooper was not available to answer questions.

Barbour said he doesn't want anything he does to harm the school district, but is reserving a decision on whether to step down from the board.

"I've had conversations about that already with a couple people, and I'm undecided on that right now," he said. "… It is a bad look. I might want to see what kind of support there is for me out there … the public, maybe other members of the school board."

Barbour said he had talked to one other board member about the incident.

"I'm not looking for forgiveness," he said. "This is all alleged. I'm not convicted of anything. I've been arrested. It's a fact. We know that. Just because someone's been arrested doesn't mean they're guilty of what they're arrested for yet. I have to talk to my family about it and see how we want to handle it."

Barbour said he doesn't know how he will proceed with the case in court.

"I haven't consulted with my attorney," he said. "I haven't been convicted yet. … That's a fact. I haven't. I haven't pleaded anything. Nothing. … It just happened. … I just want to weigh my options and stuff. I'm not going to commit to anything."

Barbour said he didn't know whether he would even need an attorney.

"I've never been through this," he said. "This is very early for me. It may be something I don't need an attorney. I just deal with them. If I'm found guilty or if we come to some type of agreement, whatever the penalty is, then go from there."

Barbour said he's done a good job as a board member, and the district has made many improvements over the past 11 years.

"I don't want anything that happens to me to reflect badly on the schools," he said. "So that's why I'm kind of weighing my options as to whether I'm going to stay on the school board or not."

Barbour is one of seven school board members. As president, he helps set meeting agendas, runs meetings and is the unofficial representative of the board.

Barbour missed part of the school board's regularly scheduled meeting Jan. 13. Barbour, owner of a local plumbing business, said he was working on a waterline break at 69th and Hydraulic.

The school board oversees a district with about 3,000 students, 500 employees and a $50 million annual budget.

"Anytime you get arrested, it's a mistake," he said. "You did something to get arrested. I have remorse and embarrassment over it. Of course I do. No question."




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