HANOVER TWP., MI – A special school board meeting to determine what happens to a teacher and coach accused of having a sexual relationship with a former student is scheduled for Monday evening.
A public meeting to consider tenure charge recommendations for Hanover-Horton teacher and head football coach Johnnie Stewart is scheduled for 6 p.m., Aug. 26 in the middle/high school media center, 10000 Moscow Road.
Stewart was placed on paid, non-disciplinary administrative leave June 23 after former student Angela Sturgill accused him of grooming her and starting a sexual relationship while she was in high school in the late 1990s.
In 2015, a high school junior also filed a complaint with the district claiming Stewart said to her “I can’t wait until you’re 18.” The district investigated the statement and determined it did not warrant a reprimand in Stewart’s personnel file, Superintendent John Denney previously said.
An investigation into those allegations was completed Friday, Aug. 16.
If a district wants to remove a tenured teacher, tenure charges must be filed with the state and that requires school board approval. The teacher may appeal the board’s decision if it chooses to issue charges.
Stewart asked for Monday’s deliberations in his situation to take place in closed session, Denney said. A vote will take place in open session, he said.
The school board had a meeting Wednesday, Aug. 21, but did not answer questions about the investigation because they were waiting for recommendations from Denney, previous reporting said.
