Former Sandusky teacher indicted

SANDUSKY — An Erie County grand jury has indicted a former Sandusky High School teacher. Jeff Sherman, of Huron, was charged with sexual battery, a third-degree felony, with a school safety zone specification, meaning the incident allegedly happened on school property. An indictment is a formal charge and does not denote guilt or innocence. The charge stems from a Jan. 15, 2019 incident when Sherman allegedly engaged in sexual conduct with a minor, the indictment states. In September, Sherman was placed on paid administrative leave by Sandusky Schools following allegations he sent a photo of himself unclothed from the waist up to a student. He was a teacher for Sandusky High School theater classes and coached football and basketball. When he spoke with the Register in September, Sherman claimed his phone was hacked and denied allegations he sent explicit photos or had relationships with students. Sherman was arrested and charged on Oct. 27 after he allegedly had sexual contact with an underage student, according to a police report. He was released from jail the next day. He resigned from this teaching job on Oct. 30. The board accepted his resignation during its November meeting. He was hired by Sandusky Schools in 2014 as a paraprofessional to provide additional academic assistance to students. He was transferred to Sandusky High School three years later. Sherman was booked into the Erie County Jail on Thursday. He's been released on a $20,000 bond. According to his Erie County Court of Common Pleas docket, Sherman has an arraignment scheduled for Feb. 25. Register reporter Brandon Addeo contributed to this article. Reach reporter Caitlin Nearhood at nearhood@sanduskyregister.com and follow her on Twitter @CaitlinNearhood