BY SUE KIESEWETTER
Enquirer Contributor
FAIRFIELD -- A former Fairfield Senior High School math teacher may lose his teaching license after school officials learned he had sexual contact with a female student.
Jason Abodeely, 25, resigned Sept. 18, two days after Butler County Children's Services and the Fairfield Police Department began investigating allegations of an inappropriate relationship. The Ohio Department of Education started to look into the matter after receiving a Sept. 25 letter from Charles Wiedenmann, superintendent of the Fairfield City Schools.
Criminal charges were not filed against Mr. Abodeely, said Sgt. Ed Roberts of the Fairfield Police Department. Police determined there had been touching but no intercourse between the teacher and the 16-year-old.
The relationship took place between January and May off school property, Sgt. Roberts said.
"Had the girl been younger, or if there had been penetration, charges would have been brought against Mr. Abodeely," Sgt. Roberts said.
"In my opinion this child did nothing wrong," Mr. Wiedenmann said. "It was our teacher that was the individual who acted inappropriately." No job action was taken against Mr. Abodeely because he resigned fewer than 48 hours after school officials were alerted by someone who was not related to the girl, Mr. Wiedenmann said.
"This progressed very quickly. As soon as the parent called us, we notified Children's Services and they called police," Mr. Wiedenmann said.
Mr. Abodeely did not return repeated calls from The Cincinnati Enquirer.
Although no criminal charges were filed, Mr. Abodeely still could lose his certificate to teach in Ohio, said Barbara Rogers, a professional conduct consultant with the Education Department's legal division. Certificates can be revoked by the Ohio Board of Education under a clause that prohibits conduct unbecoming a teacher, Ms. Rogers said.
"There's a very broad interpretation of that and it does not require (criminal) charges to be filed," Ms. Rogers said.
The process to revoke a certificate typically takes three to four months, Ms. Rogers said.
It is the second time in the past two years that school officials have had to investigate allegations of improper conduct between a teacher and student. In 1996, then-business teacher Harry Bown pleaded guilty to a charge of attempted sexual battery stemming from his relationship with a 17-year-old female student.
Mr. Abodeely began teaching in Fairfield in 1995, three months after receiving his bachelor's degree in education from Miami University. He student-taught or assisted in classrooms at Liberty Junior School, Hamilton High School, Mason Middle School and a Dayton-area school in 1994 and 1995.
"My first knowledge of any problems was when we got the phone call," Mr. Wiedenmann said. "There was nothing (unusual) in his background or performance. He was a good teacher from what I've been told."
