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Multiple cases of teacher misconduct a wakeup call for Northmont

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By Doug Page, Staff Writer Updated 11:00 AM Saturday, November 21, 2009

Twice in three years, judges have sentenced Northmont teachers for inappropriate relationships with students.

Two years ago, Jason Simmons, a former Ohio State football team captain, Northmont Middle School teacher and assistant high school football and track coach, was convicted of having sex with a 14-year-old female student. He spent one year in prison.

This summer, Loren Meadows, a Northmont High School teacher, assistant football coach and girls track coach, was charged with two felony counts of sexual battery involving one of his athletes. In August, he pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor counts of contributing to the unruliness of a minor and was sentenced to 60 days in jail and five years probation.

“This one got to me,” Robin Spiller, Northmont athletic director, said of Meadows. “He knew Jason (Simmons). He saw Jason lose everything — his family, his profession. And still he did it.”

After Simmons’ conviction, Spiller said she sat down with all of her head coaches to discuss their roles in ensuring there would be no repeat. “They were instructed to take it back to their staff. You must be careful in your relationships with students, and you must communicate that to the kids,” she said.

The Meadows case provided another wakeup call.

Superintendent Doug Lantz said the district is spending more time with its teachers, staff and students at the start of the school year. “The focus and emphasis is on teacher conduct,” he said. “We’re talking to everyone about what is appropriate behavior.”

Not alone

Circumstances have forced other districts to have that same conversation.

A Xenia coach and counselor was indicted this fall with three counts of sexual battery involving one of her athletes. A Troy music teacher and assistant band director was convicted last December of contributing to the delinquency or unruliness of a minor.

“No school district — no matter whether they have a perfect report card or not — is immune to this,” said Ron McDermott, a school administrator for 31 years who now teaches aspiring teachers at Wright State University.

“No profession — doctor, priest, teacher — is immune to this.”

In its annual report for 2008, the state Board of Education’s Office of Professional Conduct reported 100 investigations of sexual offenses allegedly committed by teachers. That was up from 81 in 2007, 73 in 2006 and 84 in 2005. There is no data covering how many of those investigations ended with license revocation.

“It hurts my heart that these situations occurred,” said Donna Cole, assistant dean of Wright State’s College of Education and Human Services. “To me, these actions are a call for attention to us. Any college that educates teachers takes this seriously.”

Gary Nasal, the Miami County prosecutor, was not involved in the Simmons or Meadows cases, but his office has prosecuted five others — licensed teachers, part-time instructors, church youth group leaders — in the past 12 months.

He sees a common factor in the increasing number of such cases.

“Some teachers never emotionally grow beyond their high school days,” Nasal said. “Some of these guys relate to their students at a high school level. They groom these kids by acting like them, through their lack of emotional maturity.

“It’s an interesting dynamic.”

Wright State’s McDermott agrees, but also notes the crimes involve a small percentage of teachers.

“For those few, it’s almost like the relationship (with students) is a close friendship, not a teacher-student relationship,” he said.

Taught better

At Wright State, as with many colleges and universities, students majoring in education hear the message of professionalism and appropriate behavior from the first class of their first year. It is repeated often for the next four years, said McDermott, assistant director of the college’s professional field experiences, which places student teachers.

One of the principles emphasized is “emotional intelligence,” McDermott said. “We want them to make good decisions, to be professional in attitude and actions. Simply to use good common sense.”

And every year, the college runs a criminal background check on all its education students. A prior felony conviction means no teaching license. Misdemeanors will trigger interventions, McDermott said. A DUI means a weekend spent in alcohol intervention.

While not subjected to any psychological testing, students’ behavior both in the classroom and in the field are closely monitored. If a problem is spotted, Cole said, the student is referred to counseling.

Slipping through

Despite the increased training, supervision and professionalism, teachers like Meadows and Simmons still slip through the cracks.

Union Police Chief Mike Blackwell, whose department was involved in both cases, believes teachers should undergo the same scrutiny as prospective police officers.

“We do criminal background checks, psychological testing, speak face-to-face with neighbors and previous employers,” he said. “I think school districts should be held to the same standards.”

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