Attorney General's News Release

January 8, 2007

Nixon asks state Board of Education to hold revocation hearing on teaching, counselor certificates of James Beine

Jefferson City, Mo. — Attorney General Jay Nixon has asked the Missouri State Board of Education to hold a hearing to revoke the teaching and counselor certificates of James Beine, a former St. Louis-area teacher. The complaint, filed on Friday (Jan. 5) on behalf of the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, bases the request for revocation on Beine's possession of child pornography and his inappropriate sexual contact with a minor.

Beine, who also goes by the name Mar James, holds a lifetime certificate to teach English and Latin, grades 7-12, and a lifetime counselor certificate, grades K-12. The Department had automatically revoked Beine's certificates in 2004 after he was convicted of sexual misconduct. The Missouri Supreme Court later overturned those convictions, however, and the Board of Education was ordered to reinstate the certificates.

The complaint alleges Beine possessed hundreds of computer files containing pictures and video files of male children under the age of 18 exposing themselves. The St. Louis Metropolitan Police discovered the files after Beine was jailed on an arrest warrant in 2002 alleging several counts of misconduct involving a child.

The second count in the complaint alleges that on two occasions in the early 1970s, Beine forced a boy under the age of 18 to have sexual contact with him. The boy had been sleeping on a couch in the rectory of Beine's church. Beine has been defrocked as a priest and is now living in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Inquiries from consumers should be directed to consumer@ago.mo.gov or 1-800-392-8222 (from within Missouri) or 573-751-3321 (outside Missouri).

All media inquiries should be directed to the Press Secretary.

E-mail      Phone: 573-751-8844         Fax: 573-751-5818