Another preliminary status hearing date is planned for a decorated educator charged with electronic solicitation of a minor.
A preliminary status hearing in the case against Howard Pitler was set for Friday in Johnson County, but that was moved to May 8 at defense request.
Pitler was arrested this past October and charged with a single solicitation count after an alleged incident in February 2023. The alleged victim was under the age of 14 at the time of the alleged incident.
Pitler had been a professor at Emporia State University since 2018, but ESU no longer has him listed in its faculty and staff directory and the university has confirmed he is no longer employed by Emporia State. He had won state and national honors while he was an administrator at USD 259 Wichita, including Kansas Principal of the Year, National Distinguished Principal, Apple Distinguished Educator and Smithsonian Laureate.
