Field trip: Teacher accused of providing alcohol, taking students to strip club
Posted by: Jon Ben-Mayor on 10/23/2013 08:17 AM
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An Indiana High School chemistry teacher has been arrested and charged with three counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor; the teacher allegedly took students to a strip club and also on separate occasions provided alcoholic beverages.
According to the NwiTimes, Travis Lechien, of Crown Point, has been a teacher for 10 years with the Hanover Community School Corp. Lechien, who will be 32 on Nov. 10, has been suspended with pay since Sept. 10. Lechien had not yet been arrested as of Tuesday. Charges were filed Oct. 7.
All of the charges are Class A misdemeanors, punishable up to one year in prison. He is scheduled for an initial hearing Nov. 19 before Judge Julie Cantrell.
Merrillville Attorney Richard Wolter, who represents Lechien, said he is not in a position to make a comment until he has seen all of the police reports and witness statements. "Our intention is to enter a plea of not guilty and attend the case," Wolter said.
According to the probable cause affidavit, the teacher allowed the students to drink beer and other alcoholic beverages at his home and took some of the students to a strip club in Hammond to celebrate a student's birthday.
The affidavit states several students, some 18 and others younger, reported they often "hung out" at Lechien's house in Crown Point and were allowed to drink beer and hard liquor as well as use flavored tobacco from a hooka the students said belonged to the teacher.
The students told Lake County police that when they drove home from the strip club, they were stopped by Lake County officers, according to the probable cause affidavit. Once they were released, the students went home. During the police stop, one of the students said they were unable to give police a straight answer and eventually told police who they were and identified Lechien as a teacher. It is not clear if police charged Lechien with anything during this stop.
According to the NwiTimes, Travis Lechien, of Crown Point, has been a teacher for 10 years with the Hanover Community School Corp. Lechien, who will be 32 on Nov. 10, has been suspended with pay since Sept. 10. Lechien had not yet been arrested as of Tuesday. Charges were filed Oct. 7.All of the charges are Class A misdemeanors, punishable up to one year in prison. He is scheduled for an initial hearing Nov. 19 before Judge Julie Cantrell.
Merrillville Attorney Richard Wolter, who represents Lechien, said he is not in a position to make a comment until he has seen all of the police reports and witness statements. "Our intention is to enter a plea of not guilty and attend the case," Wolter said.
According to the probable cause affidavit, the teacher allowed the students to drink beer and other alcoholic beverages at his home and took some of the students to a strip club in Hammond to celebrate a student's birthday.
The affidavit states several students, some 18 and others younger, reported they often "hung out" at Lechien's house in Crown Point and were allowed to drink beer and hard liquor as well as use flavored tobacco from a hooka the students said belonged to the teacher.
The students told Lake County police that when they drove home from the strip club, they were stopped by Lake County officers, according to the probable cause affidavit. Once they were released, the students went home. During the police stop, one of the students said they were unable to give police a straight answer and eventually told police who they were and identified Lechien as a teacher. It is not clear if police charged Lechien with anything during this stop.
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