Former elementary teacher pleads guilty

OAK HARBOR — A former elementary school teacher from Benton-Carroll-Salem Schools, who was arrested in early December on a domestic violence charge, recently pleaded guilty. At a court hearing on March 25, Kristan R. Orians, 35, of the 5300 block of N. Nissen Road, of Martin, Ohio, withdrew her former plea of not guilty and pleaded guilty to a single charge of domestic violence, a first-degree misdemeanor. Orians worked as a first-grade teacher at R.C. Waters Elementary School. Benton-Carroll-Salem Schools superintendent Cathy Bergman confirmed Friday that Orians resigned from the district in January and is no longer employed by the district. No charges were amended or dismissed as a result of Orians' plea, and she is scheduled to be sentenced at 11 a.m. on May 6, according to Ottawa County Municipal Court records. Background The investigation into Orians' first began on Dec. 14, 2025, when Ottawa County sheriff's deputies responded to her home after the 911 caller claimed that Orians attacked them inside the home. The caller informed the deputy that Orian "hopped over the couch" and began attacking them. As the caller tried to escape by moving into another bedroom, Orian proceeded to grab a knife, according to an Ottawa County Sheriff's Office report. The deputy noted that the caller had bite marks on their chest, back and left side of their torso, along with multiple marks on their neck, the report states. After noting the marks on the caller, the deputy returned to the residence to hear Orians' side of the story. Orians told the deputy that after an argument, she threw the caller onto a bed and clawed at their neck when they wouldn't talk to her. The deputy wrote in the police report that Orians would be charged due to the scratches and bite marks on the caller's body. Editor's note: Reporter Jolena Gioiello contributed to this news story.