Schuler, 34, a former physical education teacher at Mason High School, was found guilty in October on 16 counts of sexual battery for supplying five students, most of them football players, with alcohol and having sex with them in her Springboro home in fall 2010.
Warren County Common Pleas Judge Robert Peeler, who said he didn’t buy her insanity defense, sentenced Schuler to 48 months in prison, but said she would eligible for release after she served six months. Her six months were up on April 27, but Rittgers said he couldn’t comment on why he didn’t make a motion then.
Peeler at the sentencing said he believes Schuler suffers psychological and substance-abuse issues.
In his motion, Rittgers said Schuler has been a model prisoner at the Ohio Reformatory for Women in Marysville. The former gym teacher and athletic trainer has been teaching yoga classes, tutoring inmates — two of whom have received their GED — and works with the cooks on providing more choices and offering more nutritious foods, according to her attorney.
He also included excerpts of letters written by 27 people on Schuler’s behalf. All of them describe her as always putting others before herself, caring for the sick and above all her passion for teaching. Vance Reid, a Mason school district teacher, wrote his former colleague was one of the “most giving and caring teachers” he’s ever worked with.
“Ms. Schuler had gone above and beyond the call of duty on a daily basis to ensure the best educational opportunity for her students,” he wrote. “Ms. Schuler has lost the love of life, teaching.”
That’s part of reason Rittgers said he decided to seek her release now.
“I think that the fact that she’s lost her ability to teach and that she has to register as a sex offender and bear the loss of teaching and humiliation of being a registered sex offender is severe enough punishment,” he said.
Prosecutor David Fornshell said he will oppose early release.
“She was convicted of 16 felonies and I don’t think serving from October to May is sufficient punishment given the offenses for what she was convicted,” he said. “That’s not even a school year.”
Peeler said he could not comment on the case.
Contact this reporter at (513) 696-4525 or dcallahan@coxohio.com.
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