Teacher charged for alleged relationship with student

PORT CLINTON — An Ottawa County grand jury recently indicted a former teacher for allegedly engaging in sexual conduct with a student.Luke Ryan, 37, was charged with three counts of sexual battery, third-degree felonies. Ryan taught agricultural education at Genoa Area High School on the western edge of Ottawa County.Genoa superintendent Michael Ferguson said Ryan was an employee of Penta Career Center but taught vocational classes at his district's high school as part of a deal with the career center to which Genoa belongs.He's accused of engaging in sexual conduct with a student on three separate occasions between December 2014 and April 2015, Ottawa County prosecutor James Van Eerten said. According to VanEerten, there are indications the relationship was consensual and the victim was 17 or 18 years old at the time of the alleged misconduct. But consent, even if she was legally old enough, doesn't matter in this case."Consent or non-consent is not an element I have to prove because it's against Ohio law for a teacher to engage in a sexual relationship with a student," VanEerten said.Penta superintendent Ron Matter said on April 1 they met with the former student and her parents who made them aware of the allegations. The school immediately contacted the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office who started an investigation.Ryan was removed from Genoa's school on April 2 and placed on administration leave. Penta later informed him that the board of education was meeting to suspend him without pay and begin termination proceedings, but he resigned before the meeting.The board accepted his irrevocable resignation, without a separation agreement, on April 29, according to Penta's official statement on his indictment. Ryan appeared Monday in the Ottawa County Common Pleas Court for his initial appearance. His arraignment was scheduled for Nov. 6.Editor's Note: This article has been updated form the original print version to include the comments of Penta Career Center.Reach reporter Michael Harrington at michaelharrington@sanduskyregister.com, follow the Register at Facebook.com/SanduskyRegisterLuke Ryan