State School Board President Married Convicted Sex Offender, Raises Trust Questions

Entry Overview: Pam Pugh, Michigan State Board of Education President, married a registered sex offender in 2005. Newly obtained marriage and court records show the conviction occurred months before the marriage, raising public concern about judgement and leadership suitability.

Key Facts:

• Married MyKing Smith on February 4, 2005

• Smith was convicted in September 2005 for 4th Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct with a minor (ages 13-15)

• Divorce filed: September 2014, nearly a decade later

Why It Matters: The marriage questions, when combined with existing questions around financial impropriety, may influence public trust in Pugh’s leadership of Michigan’s education system.

Full Entry: Recent reports have detailed the financial problems facing Michigan State Board of Education President Pam Pugh. The Detroit News reported that Pugh potentially broke the law by spending thousands of dollars of leftover donations from a previous campaign to pay herself consulting fees, book vacations, and pay for “image consulting” at local salons. MLive reported on the $86,000 worth of IRS liens that are still unsettled and levied against Pugh. 

Now previously unreported details of her marriage to MyKing Smith may also raise Michigan residents’ eyebrows. According to Saginaw County marriage license records, Pam Pugh married MyKing Smith on February 4, 2005. At the time Pam Pugh married MyKing Smith, he was facing two charges in Saginaw Circuit Court involving criminal sexual conduct with a minor - which were first brought in 2003. 

In September 2005 – just a few months after he married Pugh – MyKing Smith was convicted of Fourth Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct with a Victim between 13 and 15 and registered as a sex offender. Under Michigan Law, 4th Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct with a Minor involves force or coercion. 

In November 2005, Smith was sentenced to three months of house arrest, three years of probation, and $1,100 in fees and fines after taking a plea deal on the criminal sexual conduct with a minor charge.  

Despite MyKing Smith’s disgusting history, Pam Pugh remained married to him for a decade – and MyKing Smith filed for divorce from her. Saginaw Court records show that MyKing Smith filed for divorce from Pugh in September 2014. The divorce was granted in April 2015 – more than a decade after Pugh married Smith.  

These documents raise even more questions about Pugh’s ability to serve as the president of the Michigan State Board of Education.