Kansas Republican pleads not guilty after alleged battery of student; judge orders mental health evaluation

Kansas state Rep. Mark Samsel pleaded not guilty to three counts of misdemeanor battery Wednesday in Franklin County District Court, where a judge ordered the lawmaker to undergo a mental health evaluation. It was Samsel's first court appearance since his arrest last month, which followed an incident while he was substitute teaching at Wellsville High School in Wellsville, Kansas. Students recorded videos of Samsel lecturing them about God, suicide, sex and masturbation. Parents have accused him of kneeing one male student in the crotch. Franklin County prosecutors charged the Wellsville Repub...