Dennis Albright

The Wetzel County Board of Education will decide upon the tendered resignation of Superintendent Dennis Albright at a special meeting Feb. 17, 6 p.m. According to the notice announcing the meeting, “the main purpose of the special meeting is to accept the tendered resignation of Dennis Albright and to appoint an Interim Superintendent.”

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Wetzel County School Superintendent Dennis Albright was arrested Thursday by officers with the Charleston Police Department in a prostitution sting.

Albright was in Charleston for the legislative session when he allegedly chatted online with an undercover police officer posing as a prostitute. They met at a hotel where Albright allegedly offered the undercover officer money for sex. He was arrested and later given a summons to appear in court at a later date.

Wetzel County Schools officials this morning said that Albright was not working today, but they were aware of his arrest.

Board of education President Michael Blair issued this statement today: “I was shocked this morning to hear the news of our county superintendent’s arrest in Charleston, W.Va. Naturally, at this moment, the board is not aware of all the relevant facts and must exercise discretion and restraint before meeting to consider taking any official action.

“In due course, the board of education will call an official public meeting and consider what actions to pursue. In the meantime, in the absence of the county superintendent, our Assistant Superintendent Jay Yeager will serve as chief administrative officer of the school system per his written job description,” Blair said.

Charleston Chief of Detectives Steve Cooper said Albright, 58, is being charged with engaging in prostitution.

“He told our detectives he was in town on legislative business. Our prostitutes, the real prostitutes, tell us during the legislative session, they tend to be busier,” Cooper said.

In addition to Albright, five other men were arrested in separate stings on Thursday.

“Our detectives were in the next room. When a transaction was agreed upon they entered the room and took the ‘John’ into custody,” Cooper said, noting both cameras and listening devices were planted in the room.

Cooper said his department conducts prostitution stings year-round.

“We try to keep the schedule unpredictable, but it tends to be a good deterrent if a potential John knows detectives could come through the door at any moment,” he said.

Cooper said the officers who perform the undercover stings have a lot of experience dealing with prostitutes in the Charleston area.

“They have experience working with real prostitutes on the street. … It’s part of being a police officer, having to play, act or get into character and be believable … They have to sell it and some are better than others. These officers are good at it,” Cooper said.

The other men arrested in the sting included: Andre Brown, 36, of Charleston; Bradford Poe, 49, of Proctorville, Ohio; Rob Blake, 48, of Barboursville, W.Va.; Jeremy Dunlap, 33, of Charleston; and Steven Bissell, 38, of Gandyville, W.Va. Dunlap also was charged with simple possession of marijuana.