Friday, June 14th, the Kansas Supreme Court suspended the law license of former Kansas Representative Mark Samsel, for two years. That suspension is dependent on his completion of a two-year probationary period that would include treatment for a mental health disorder.
In April 2021, Samsel, working as a substitute teacher at Wellsville High School, kicked and shoved a student and grabbed another student. The episode in the Wellsville classroom included comments by Samsel about suicide, sex, masturbation, god, the bible, foster care and homosexuality. Students captured samsel’s remarks on video. He was arrested on three counts of battery but entered a guilty plea in September 2021 to three counts of disorderly conduct. He was instructed to serve one year of probation, seek mental health treatment and avoid interaction with social media. Samsell voluntarily surrendered his teaching license soon after his arrest. Samsel lost his reelection campaign to Carrie Barth, of Baldwin City.
He also signed an agreement with the Office of the Disciplinary Administrator in which he conceded his conduct violated rules of professional conduct for an attorney and that his misconduct was the result of an untreated mental health disorder. He agreed to a one year suspension, but the Supreme Court gave a two-year, pending Samsel’s completion of two years’ probation, which included monitoring and supervision of his practice of law.
