Campbell teacher case investigated by state agency

Staff report

CAMPBELL

The case of a Campbell Memorial High School teacher who may have engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a student is being investigated by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation.

The female teacher has been placed on administrative leave. The minor student involved is male.

City Police Chief Drew Rauzan said his department was notified by the school district, which is conducting an internal investigation.

Because the investigation involves a “possible child victim and an electronic communication between the teacher and victim, the most-appropriate agency to handle such an investigation is the BCI Crimes Against Children” unit, he said.

The investigation stems from an allegation that the teacher was sending and receiving text messages with the student that may have been inappropriate, a letter from the school district to the police department says.

School officials also notified Mahoning County Children Services and the Ohio Department of Education’s Office of Professional Conduct.

John Charlton, an ODE spokesman, said that when a criminal investigation is ongoing, ODE’s Office of Professional Conduct typically waits for its conclusion before beginning its own query.

That’s particularly true if the teacher involved is on leave or not in the classroom for some other reason.

A news release from the school district said its initial investigation found “evidence of violations of potential district policy and potential criminal acts” that were reported at the end of the school day Friday.