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Jilly_in_VA

(12,866 posts)
Sat Aug 2, 2025, 06:19 PM Aug 2

Teacher suspected of killing Arkansas hikers alarmed parents with 'odd' behavior

Two years before he was arrested in the killings of two Arkansas hikers, Andrew J. McGann was known to some parents at a Texas elementary school for his pattern of off-putting behavior around their kids.

Lindsay Camp Polyak, whose son would spend some days in McGann’s classroom at Donald Elementary School in the town of Flower Mound, said she and other parents grew concerned that he was not properly teaching their children and felt they were falling behind academically. She also noticed what she characterized as McGann’s “grooming” of girls in the classroom.

“My kid would come home and say, ‘Mr. McGann loves to play tag. He plays tag at recess every day with the girls,’” Polyak said, adding that her son told her McGann gave out candy and special prizes — but only to the girls.

In a group chat with other fourth grade parents, Polyak said she learned that McGann arranged “special lunches” where certain girls would remain in his classroom; some parents alleged McGann encouraged girls to sit on his lap.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/teacher-suspected-killing-arkansas-hikers-alarmed-parents-odd-behavior-rcna222227

EWWWWWWW! The more I hear about this guy, the more I wonder how he ever got a second teaching job!

9 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Teacher suspected of killing Arkansas hikers alarmed parents with 'odd' behavior (Original Post) Jilly_in_VA Aug 2 OP
Hhmm... mwmisses4289 Aug 2 #1
How creepy PatSeg Aug 2 #2
Is this the motive? He was attempting to kidnap their daughters? Pompoy Aug 2 #3
I hadn't thought about that Jilly_in_VA Aug 3 #4
I think that's a good bet. LisaL Aug 3 #6
Didn't he work as a teacher in THREE different states? ShazzieB Aug 3 #5
He also was about to start a new teaching job. LisaL Aug 3 #7
Oh, that's right! ShazzieB Aug 3 #9
Sounds like a likely candidate for Trump/GOP to pardon! RedWhiteBlueIsRacist Aug 3 #8

mwmisses4289

(2,039 posts)
1. Hhmm...
Sat Aug 2, 2025, 06:34 PM
Aug 2

Someone on an earlier op about this wondered if maybe he was after the two girls. Sounds like it might be one several possibilities in this case.

Jilly_in_VA

(12,866 posts)
4. I hadn't thought about that
Sun Aug 3, 2025, 08:48 AM
Aug 3

but I bet it was. Good God, what an evil being! *shudder* This is the kind of guy the who shouldn't get the death penalty. Just put him in gen pop and tell one or two guys what he did.

ShazzieB

(21,479 posts)
5. Didn't he work as a teacher in THREE different states?
Sun Aug 3, 2025, 10:22 AM
Aug 3

Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas, in that order, is what I believe I heard.

I guess how it works is after getting fired for being a creepy, crawly creep in one state, you move to another state and make a fresh start. Rinse and repeat. Until you murder somebody -- that has a way of throwing a wrench in the works.


ShazzieB

(21,479 posts)
9. Oh, that's right!
Sun Aug 3, 2025, 05:38 PM
Aug 3

He had taught in Texas and Oklahoma, but hadn't started in Arkansas yet. But I was partially right, because he had taught in two different states and had another teaching job lined up in a third state (Arkansas).

It sounds like his behavior was weird enough to attract some notice in at least some schools, but he managed not to get arrested and moved on before getting fired anywhere. Of course, that doesn't mean he never did anything arrest worthy, just that he didn't get caught. In any case, I guess no police record = no 🚩🚩🚩 to pop up on background checks!

8. Sounds like a likely candidate for Trump/GOP to pardon!
Sun Aug 3, 2025, 11:59 AM
Aug 3

They love the pervs, and killer perv is a plus for them.

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