Teacher charged in porn case resigns

? A Wichita Catholic school teacher charged with possession of child pornography resigned on Tuesday, the same day the Wichita Diocese had planned an announcement on whether he would be fired.

Jeffrey Klazura, 29, a fifth-grade teacher, allegedly ordered and received pornographic pictures of minors off the Internet, U.S. Atty. Eric Melgren said. The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Postal Service and the FBI.

Klazura, who was in his second year at St. Thomas Aquinas School, was charged Thursday and released Friday after posting $20,000 bond.

Klazura won’t be eligible to teach in the Wichita Diocese again, said Chancellor Robert Hemberger. And if other schools call for a reference for Klazura, “We’ll be very truthful to them,” Hemberger said.

By contract, Klazura had to be suspended seven days before the diocese could fire him. During that period, which ended Monday, Klazura could have appealed but did not, Supt. Bob Voboril said.

There were no reports of misconduct involving Klazura at St. Thomas Aquinas, Voboril said.

“He was highly respected by the families and his fellow staff members,” Voboril said.

If convicted, Klazura faces up to five years in a federal prison.

Klazura moved to Wichita in 2000 to be closer to his parents, said Sister Edith Hauser, who was Klazura’s principal at a Colorado school for about two years.

“If I had any question about his character and morality, I would never have recommended him to another Catholic school,” said Hauser, who is with St. Columba School in Durango, Colo.

Klazura was suspended March 16 after he told a priest about the situation, Voboril said.

A retired St. Thomas Aquinas teacher has been hired to take Klazura’s class for the rest of the year.

The Wichita Diocese does not conduct background checks on teachers, but applicants are required to acknowledge that if their conduct conflicts with the church’s teachings, they could be fired, Voboril said.

Klazura also signed a policy on sexual abuse of children and Internet use when he was hired, Voboril said.