Teacher sentenced to 3 days in jail, 27 days of house arrest

CANFIELD — A Canfield teacher was sentenced to three days in the Mahoning County Jail and 27 days of electronically monitored house arrest this morning, but will appeal.

Douglas D. Dawson, a Canfield Village Middle School teacher, was sentenced this morning on a guilty conviction from a Sept. 15 jury on violation of a protection order.

That same jury acquitted him of domestic violence and resisting arrest.

Atty. Albert Palombaro, Dawson's attorney, said this morning that an appeal on the case to the Seventh District Court of Appeals will stay the jail sentence.

"The defendant had every opportunity to return to the court of common pleas to address his grievances" with communication issues, Judge Scott D. Hunter said during sentencing. "By replacing the terms and conditions of the court order with his own judgment, the defendant displayed a blatant disregard for the authority of the court of common pleas."

Dawson was fined $500 plus court costs and jury fees, and will be on probation for 12 months after the jail and house-arrest sentences. He will also have a mental health assessment.

The finding of guilty on the violation of a protection order stemmed from a Dec. 30 consent agreement. Both parties signed off on communicating via text messaging to arrange times Dawson could see his children.

Dawson, and Atty. Palombaro, argued at his trial that Dawson could not arrange a visit time for Jan. 1 because Dawson’s wife blocked his phone number from her cell phone.

Dawson’s wife testified that she blocked Dawson’s phone number because he was texting her about other matters than their children.