Upper Arlington teacher and former football coach indicted on multiple sexual assault charges

An Upper Arlington teacher and former head football coach there and at Bishop Ready High School in Columbus has been indicted on multiple charges of rape and sexual assault involving a minor.

Joel Cutler, a gym teacher at Greensview Elementary School who has been employed by the district since 1999, is charged with two counts of rape, four counts of sexual battery and three counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor.

The charges involve incidents which occurred between 2000 and 2003, according to the Madison County prosecutor's office. The victim was a former student at Upper Arlington, according to a message the district sent to parents.

The Madison County Prosecutor's office said in a press release that the criminal investigation which led to the charges against Cutler was conducted by the Upper Arlington and London police departments and the prosecutor's office.

The Dispatch obtained documents confirming the criminal charges against Cutler on Wednesday from the prosecutor's office after finding no record of them Tuesday or Wednesday morning on the Madison County Common Pleas Court's online database. The Madison County Clerk of Courts office confirmed Wednesday that the court had not received any records from the prosecutor's office about the charges, even though the Upper Arlington School District had apparently been made aware of them.

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In the school district's message sent to families, Superintendent Paul Imhoff said the district was first notified that Cutler was the subject of a criminal investigation right after the former student reported it to law enforcement last summer. Cutler was then placed on paid leave by the district and did not teach during the 2021-2022 school year.

The district said that with the indictment, they were now able to share the news of the investigation, and that Cutler was immediately suspended without pay.

"We are devastated that one of our former students has been dealing with this for so many years, and we appreciate the courage it took to come forward," Imhoff wrote in the message. "We will continue to fully cooperate with the authorities as this case moves through the legal system."

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The district said it has also made counselors available for students at Barrington Elementary School — which is not where Cutler was teaching when placed on leave — and encouraged students in the district to speak up and report any inappropriate contact.

Along with being a teacher in the district, Cutler was also the head football coach at Upper Arlington High School from 2014-2018, where he had a 29-21 overall record with the team.

In 2018, Cutler was placed on administrative leave by the district while he was being investigated for the handling of health and wellness issues with his football players. He then returned as the head football coach at Bishop Ready High School in 2019, where he had an 11-8 record.

Cutler had previously been Bishop Ready's coach in 2012 and 2013, with a combined record of 19-5. He took a leave of absence from the coaching position there in the summer of 2021, which is when the former student first came forward with the criminal allegations.

In a statement, Bishop Ready principal Matt Brickner wrote that he was shocked and saddened about the news regarding Cutler, and that the school only has information about the situation through the news media.

"Our hearts go out to those who have suffered abuse of any kind, and it is our sincere hope that victims of abuse may experience true healing," Brickner wrote. "Our school only knew that Mr. Cutler was on leave from his job in the Upper Arlington School District, and he was subsequently on leave from his duties here last football season."

Brickner added that as of the end of the last football season, Cutler resigned as the head coach.

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Upper Arlington gym teacher indicted on rape, sexual assault charges