BELLEFONTAINE — Heather O’Donnell, 46, superintendent of the Midwest Regional Educational Service Center, has been put on paid administrative leave, following her arrest and indictment for child endangering.
She and her husband, Patrick, 52, of Lewistown, were arraigned Friday in the Logan County Common Pleas Court.
Patrick, superintendent of Indian Lake Schools and a former Sidney City Schools superintendent, had been indicted on 14 charges: four counts of rape, all first degree felonies, four counts of sexual battery, all second degree felonies, and six counts of gross sexual imposition, all third degree felony.
He was originally arrested, June 19, and charged with gross sexual imposition in Bellefontaine Municipal Court. That charge was dismissed when Logan County Prosecutor Eric Stewart decided to present the case to the Logan County grand jury.
Patrick is accused of having abused a girl, now 13, since 2013.
Heather has been indicted on two counts of child endangering, both third degree felonies.
Both O’Donnells pled not guilty to their respective charges. Bail was set at $150,000 for Patrick and $25,000 for Heather. Both posted bond and were no longer incarcerated Friday night.
The Midwest Regional Educational Service Center’s board met in special session Friday morning. After action to place Heather on leave, the board contracted Rick Smith, superintendent of the Ohio High Point Career Center, to serve as acting superintendent of the Midwest Regional center. Smith will not leave his current post, but will serve both systems.
“Today, the governing board … suspended Heather … from all duties involving the care, custody or control of a child,” the board wrote in a prepared statement.
The choice of Smith to fill the interim period came “because we need an experienced leader who can focus on the business of the ESC,” the board’s statement said.
“The charges against Mrs. O’Donnell are horrible. The justice system will proceed and determine her guilt or innocence (of) these charges. Ohio law requires that we afford Mrs. O’Donnell with certain due process rights regarding her employment with the ESC. We are in the process of taking the next steps and anticipate moving forward regarding her employment in the near future,” the board said.
“The ESC remains committed to our first priority — partnering with school districts to improve outcomes for students and families. We are committed to working with any member district, staff member, student or family who has conerns about anything surrounding our ESC, including this issue,” the statement concluded.
The ESC serves schools in Shelby, Hardin and Logan counties.
The Indian Lake School District has placed Patrick on unpaid leave and is investigating the next steps to take concerning his employment with the district.
In the courtroom here, Friday, status conferences in each case were scheduled for Aug. 10 and pretrial conferences, for Oct. 30.
Heather is scheduled to go before a jury, Nov. 30, for what is expected to be a two-day trial.
Her husband’s two-day trial is scheduled to begin Nov. 28.
