Teacher Charged in Double Murder Found to Have Passed Background Checks
The individual facing serious charges for a double homicide at Devilsden State Park in Arkansas has a history of passing background checks in multiple school districts nationwide.
Andrew James McGan, 28, is being charged with two counts of murder linked to the deaths of 41-year-old Christan Amanda Brink and her partner, Clinton David Brink, aged 43, whose bodies were discovered on a walking trail on July 26.
McGan previously held teaching jobs in four different school districts across Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas.
During the 2022-2023 school year, he worked at Donald Elementary School in Flower Mound, Texas, where he was placed on administrative leave in the spring of 2023 due to issues concerning classroom management and professional judgment. However, the district found no evidence of inappropriate behavior after an internal investigation, leading to his resignation in May 2023.
In the 2023-2024 academic year, he taught fifth graders at Spring Creek Elementary School in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, before transitioning to Sun Springs Public Schools, also in Oklahoma, from summer 2024 until May 2025.
Both districts confirmed to media outlets that McGan had successfully passed all required background checks and had not faced disciplinary actions. One parent of a student in McGan’s class described him as “very kind” but said he seemed a bit distant during interactions, which they felt was strange.
After this, McGan moved to Springdale Public Schools in Arkansas. While the district said they offered him a position for the upcoming school year, it’s unclear whether he had begun working or interacted with any students before his arrest.
Jared Cleveland, the district chief, expressed condolences for the situation in a statement. McGan, a graduate of Oklahoma State University Tulsa in spring 2022, holds valid educational licenses in Arkansas, Texas, and Oklahoma, with no reported violations or suspensions in those states.
Former FBI agent Bill Daly noted that the ability for McGan to travel between multiple states without raising alarms indicates a serious gap in the processes of background checks for educators. He pointed out that these checks may vary significantly from one state or region to another, depending on legal or financial constraints. Daly emphasized the importance of looking for early signs of troubling behavior, which often go unnoticed.
He also remarked on the unusual frequency of McGan’s job changes. “It’s interesting how he moved across states where the sharing of information may not be so straightforward,” he said.
Daly advised parents to inquire about their district’s hiring processes and background check criteria, stressing that parents should feel empowered to ask about school safety and related concerns.
For school administrators, he recommended a more thorough review of hiring practices, especially in light of McGan’s circumstances.
