MENTOR, Ohio — The director of performing arts at Lake Catholic High School has been fired following allegations of inappropriate conduct with students, according to a letter sent to school alumni.
According to a statement from the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland, Scott Posey was fired at the conclusion of Lake Catholic's investigation this month.
The Diocese said that in January 2024, it received a report alleging Posey engaged in inappropriate conduct with two female students 15 years ago, but that conduct "did not involve physical contact with the students."
However, those allegations triggered an investigation in which the Diocese said another female graduate told investigators she engaged in inappropriate conduct with Posey while she was a student that "included touching of a sexual nature."
The diocese said that the allegation was immediately reported to law enforcement and that Posey was placed on administrative leave.
In its statement, the diocese said "civil authorities" are currently investigating the allegations.
News 5 reached out to Lake County authorities but could not confirm which agency was investigating or if any criminal charges had been filed.
The Diocese asks anyone who wants to report inappropriate conduct to contact local law enforcement.
The Diocese's full statement is below:
In January of this year, the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland received a report from a former student alleging that the director of performing arts at Lake Catholic High School, Scott Posey, had engaged in inappropriate conduct with two female students approximately 15 years ago. The alleged conduct did not involve physical contact with the students. A representative of the diocese, consistent with diocesan and school policies, reported the allegation to law enforcement and, with the support of law enforcement, retained a private investigator to investigate the report.
During the course of this investigation, the investigator interviewed a number of former students, including an additional female graduate who alleged that Mr. Posey had, on a number of occasions around the same time period, engaged in inappropriate conduct with her while she was a student that included touching of a sexual nature. Upon receiving this new allegation, it was immediately reported to law enforcement and Lake Catholic placed Mr. Posey on administrative leave pending the completion of its investigation. At the conclusion of Lake Catholic’s investigation this month, it was decided that Mr. Posey would no longer be employed at Lake Catholic High School. A separate investigation by civil authorities is currently pending.
Lake Catholic and the Diocese of Cleveland believe nothing is more important than the safety and welfare of our students and expect that employees and volunteers will act at all times in a manner that is consistent with Catholic morals and that promotes the wellbeing of the students and young people in their care. We take any allegation of misconduct very seriously and encourage anyone who wishes to report any inappropriate conduct or abuse to contact local law enforcement as well as the Diocese’s Victim Assistance Coordinator at 216-696-6525, ext. 2321.
According to Lake County Court of Common Pleas records, a special prosecutor has been appointed to avoid any possible conflicts of interest between the parties involved.
