Published: September 30, 2008 01:39 am            

MEDINA: Ballard in court on misconduct charges

MEDINA — With family and friends around, Scott Ballard appeared before the Village of Medina court on Monday, to set a return date for hearing the allegations against him.

Ballard, 33, a lifelong Medina resident, was arrested Sept. 19, on two charges of official misconduct, for allegedly having relationships with two former students. The two incidents reportedly occurred in 2004 and 2006 at Medina High School, where Ballard has been a teacher for 11 years. Both females were 17 years of age or older at the time of the alleged relationships. Ballard was arraigned in the Town of Shelby court where he was released on his own recognizance.

During court Monday, Ballard’s lawyer Thomas Calandra asked the judge to reconsider the protection order against his client, and asked that the bail restrictions be completely removed. A protection order was set during the arraignment, protecting the victims, witnesses and school district from contact with Ballard.

Calandra claimed that the Medina Central School District only has the protection order up against his client because they want the court to suspend Ballard so they don’t have to pay him a salary during the trial. The attorney said that the school district let Ballard work while they were doing an investigation and had no concerns about him during that time.

“It’s not a sex offense case,” Calandra stated to the court. “It’s official misconduct.”

He said that the case alleges improper relations, gifts and flirting. He also told the court that one of the victims did not want the order of protection imposed. He said the father of that same victim said they were close friends of the Ballard family and said the allegations were untrue.

Calandra also said that Ballard began dating the victim after she had graduated from Medina High School and that the school is trying to “backdoor him” in an attempt to force him into a guilty plea, making it the court who wouldn’t let Ballard return to work.

“Let the school district do its own dirty work if they don’t want Ballard back in school.” Calandra said.

Judge Lawrence H. Sanderson ruled that in this matter, anyone who wants a protection order will get one.

“If the victim does not want one, then she doesn’t have to have one,” he said. Sanderson said that if the school is asking — whether they are right or wrong — it is only right, and the court’s duty to include the school. District Attorney Joseph Cardone responded by saying he was contacted by the school for the protection order.

Ballard is set to return to court Nov. 17, when the motions for both parties will be heard.

Contact reporter Rikki Cason at 798-1400, ext. 8227

        

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