Lancaster teacher pleads guilty in 'unusual' sex case

Spencer Remoquillo | Lancaster Eagle Gazette

LANCASTER — A Lancaster High School English teacher admitted to having a sexual relationship with one of her 16-year-old students, whom she later married, more than a decade ago.

Despite the passage of time and that the couple married after the student graduated, Fairfield County Prosecutor Kyle Witt said a crime still occurred. He admitted it was a "very unusual case", but “You can’t run from the fact that it was a criminal, unlawful relationship."

On Nov. 16 Black, 47, pleaded guilty to one count of sexual battery, a third-degree felony and Judge David Trimmer sentenced her to five years of community control with a 5 year reserve prison sentence and a $2,200 fine. As a result of the plea, she must register as a Tier III sex offender.

Black was indicted by a grand jury on the single charge July 26 after her former husband and student reported it to police April 25. Black admitted to having a sexual relationship with the then-16-year-old student from 2003 to 2005. They married after he graduated in Anchorage, Alaska, and later dissolved the marriage in July 2013, according to court records.

As to why it took about 15 years to report, Witt said he didn't delve into the victim's motivation in reporting it.

"I don’t know exactly what the motivation was, but it wasn’t terribly relevant to me," Witt said, adding that whether the intention was good or bad, a crime had occurred.

If the case against Black had gone to trial, the state's evidence would have involved witness testimony and what Witt described as "love letters" containing inappropriate content from Black to the student.

Investigators collected 20 notes, nine letters and a card that were handwritten or typed by Black as evidence, according to the original police report. Police also took samples of her handwriting, which Witt said were also sent to a analyst for comparison.

When investigators started looking into the case, Lancaster City Schools did as well, suspending her from her position. In a letter from Superintendent Steve Wigton to Black regarding the district's investigation findings shows Black may have also "failed to maintain professional boundaries" with other students in addition to her accuser.

Wigton's letter states Black received many text messages from LHS students that “were not related to school curriculum or school activities. It also states she allegedly attended parties with students “and/or bought or furnished alcohol to LHS students."

When Black was first indicted, Witt said he opted for a public announcement with the intention of bringing forward other victims, if there were any, to investigators. Witt said none came forward and there is no indication there were any other inappropriate relationships with students during her tenure.

As part of her plea agreement, Black relinquished her Ohio teaching license and is barred from any teaching, tutoring, mentoring or coaching where she would have unsupervised contact with non-family minors for the length of her five-year sentence.

sremoquill@gannett.com

740-681-4342

Twitter: @SpencerRemo