Asbury at school board after acquittal

CLOVERDALE -- Cloverdale School Board member Brian Asbury resumed his position on the board Monday evening after recently being found not guilty on felony assault-willful injury charges stemming from a Nov. 3, 2013 bar fight in Independence, Iowa.

Asbury, along with former middle school behavior interventionist and high school wrestling coach Steven Livingtson were said to have been at an Independence bar after picking up wrestling mats for the school earlier that day. According to the police complaint, the pair had allegedly assaulted two Iowa residents at Rush Park Tavern, with one of the Iowa men suffering serious injuries to his left eye, which required several surgeries.

Although, the Cloverdale School Board had called for Asbury to step down in December, he maintained his silence over the past 10 months until the trial process was completed on Sept. 16, where he was not only found not guilty on all charges. Charges against Livingston were dismissed.

"I have been respectful of the board for the past 10 months," Asbury said. "Tonight, I have chosen to resume my position on the board to which I was elected. I have been absent to eliminate further discussion and speculation, so that the full attention of the board could be on the education of our students. I'd also like to thank the few people who believed in our innocence. These have been trying times for both Livingston and myself. It's very easy to believe the media when allegations are depicted as the truth. The truth is and was our innocence as proven in the court of law."

Since the altercation last November, Livingston resigned from his position at the corporation and Asbury had been absent for all school board meetings and did not file for re-election in the upcoming election.

"I've accomplished what I ran to do," Asbury told the Banner Graphic in regard to the upcoming election.

A number of people, including Amanda Galloway, Angela Ladd, Tim Powell and Vivian Whitaker are running for the Cloverdale Township board position as well as Jeffery Gibboney, Arvel Hinton Jr. and Daniel Hofmann for Jennings (Owen)

Township and Duane Huge and Ed Stevens of Taylor (Owen) Township, Asbury is hopeful the corporation will keep on the right path.

"As a corporation we are leading in the right direction and we want to keep that going," Asbury stated in regard to the number of individuals running for board positions. "Cloverdale schools should be the epicenter of our community with good board members, administrators and faculty who work together and not in different directions. I believe in open and honest dialogue. Information should be shared with everyone in regard to school policies and curriculum."