By Rachel Sheeley
After a nearly year-long investigation, charges have been filed against an area school administrator.
On Jan. 21, two charges of furnishing alcohol to a minor, a Class B misdemeanor, were filed against Eric Green, 44, in Randolph County Superior Court.
Green, who resides in Winchester, is scheduled to appear in court at 1 p.m. Feb. 10.
Green was placed on administrative leave from his position as assistant superintendent by Northeastern Wayne schools in February 2020.
A statement released by the school corporation’s attorney, A.J. Sickmann, said, “From the time we were first made aware of an investigation in February of last year and of the evolution of the investigation since, the Northeastern Wayne School administration, including (Superintendent) Dr. (Matthew) Hicks and his predecessor (Laura Blessing), have fully cooperated with State Police and the appointed special prosecutor.
“Dr. Hicks’s predecessor took the only step available at the time by swiftly placing Mr. Green on administrative leave to prevent his having any on-campus contact with students based on the initial and ongoing allegations.”
The statement also notes that “an internal investigation remains ongoing and appropriate action will be taken as a result of the same.”
Green, who received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Ball State University, joined the teaching staff at Northeastern in the late 1990s and did some coaching. He advanced to assistant principal for discipline and then to assistant principal for student services, which included the duties of athletic director, before becoming assistant superintendent.
“Our community has suffered enough under the cloud of this investigation and we regret the pain this has caused,” the statement said. “While (these) developments can hardly bring closure to the situation for the students and families involved, we hope it moves us closer to putting this difficult chapter for our district and community behind us.”
Pick up the Feb. 3 print edition of Western Wayne News for additional information related to this story.