ROOTSTOWN, Ohio — A teacher at Rootstown High School has been charged with three counts of sexual imposition and one count of assault, according to a report from News 5 media partners at Record-Courier.
In separate incidents, Christopher DiBattista, 40, allegedly laid his head in the lap of a 17-year-old student, punched that same student in the arm, touched a then-16-year-old student’s thigh with his hand and “spooned” another 17-year-old student, according to the report.
DiBattista was issued a summons but was not arrested. He has been on administrative leave for more than a month, the report said.
The school’s superintendent sent DiBattista a letter reassigning him to work from home if needed, according to the report.
DiBattista was placed on administrative leave in 2012 for an unknown reason, the report said.
The gross sexual imposition charges are third-degree misdemeanors and the assault charge is a first-degree misdemeanor.
