The family of a young man victimized by a former Tecumseh High School guidance counselor in 2010 is speaking out against the district’s refusal to prohibit his offender from being currently involved with the boys’ basketball team through a volunteer parent organization. Claiming that they received no support from Superintendents, Board of Education members, or the court system, the family has taken to social media to inform other parents of the offender’s ongoing involvement with students.
Former Tecumseh guidance counselor Kristin Mastin, who was 38 at the time of the crime, plead guilty in 2011 to three counts of sexual battery for her relations with the victim, who was a 16 year-old student when the offenses took place in 2010. Mastin had been employed by the Tecumseh Local School District for five years before the charges were filed, and after going on sick leave while allegations were investigated, Mastin submitted her resignation on March 11, 2011.
In 2011, The Columbus Dispatch reported Dr. Jim Gay, who was Tecumseh’s Superintendent at the time, as saying: “The district takes allegations of inappropriate behavior between a teacher and a student seriously,” yet the Frank family says that current district leaders openly approve of Mastin’s renewed involvement with the basketball team.
“It’s almost like (the Tecumseh Board) is approving a Tier-Three Sexual Predator on school grounds,” said the victim’s father Chad Frank. “They’re allowing it to happen.”
Mastin was sentenced to five years’ community control and six months in a treatment facility. Mastin was also to adhere to "special community sanction terms."
SPECIAL COMMUNITY CONTROL SANCTION TERMS:
A. If I have not paid my restitution, fine, and court costs in-full within 90 days of the date my community control is due to expire, understand that the Court can extend my period of community control. I agree to such extension I fit should become necessary and waive a hearing in that regard.
B. I will pay restitution in an amount of $0.00, a fine of $0.00 plus court costs as billed by the Clerk of Court at a monthly rate of $5.00 until paid infull
C. The defendant will pay a $25.00 per month supervision fee to the probation department This is to be paid at the beginning of each month.
D. The defendant will complete the program at River City Correctional and follow all recommended treatment.
E. The defendant will complete all recommended psychiatric counseling and take all medications as prescribed.
F. The defendant will have no unsupervised contact with minors except for her own children.
G. The defendant will complete 300 hours community service.
H. The defendant will be incarcerated in the Clark County Jail pending placement in River City.
I. If the defendant violates any rule of her community control she could be sentenced to the Ohio State Reformatory for Women for a period of 3 years on each count to be served consecutively for a total of 9 years.
Frank said he heard that “Mastin was back at Tecumseh” after his son graduated. Frank said that when he learned Mastin was volunteering at a basketball game last season, he called Assistant Superintendent Paula Crew to inquire about a Tier-Three offender’s presence at a school function.
Frank said that Crew asked if she could “get back to” him. Meanwhile; Frank spoke with Tecumseh Athletic Director Craig Eier, who allegedly said “that’s not cool,” according to Frank. Frank said he then was told by Crew that the school would “talk to our legal team so we can establish boundaries.” Frank said that Mastin stopped attending school functions last year after this discussion, but noted that she resumed her presence at the high school this year, not only attending her children’s sporting events, but also volunteering in a parent organization, which allows her contact with players on the basketball team.
Frank said that Mastin is currently serving as a volunteer with a parent organization that feeds the basketball team before their games, so he tried to approach Crew once more. He said he was unable to reach Crew with his renewed concerns, as receptionists always told him that she was busy or away from the office. Crew was no longer the district spokesperson since she was not the acting superintendent. He said that a receptionist then asked if he wanted to speak with Superintendent Norm Glismann, who Frank said was less than sympathetic.
“I went through this last year with Paula, what’s going on?” Frank said he asked Glismann, who reportedly replied: “She’s here as a parent. I wasn’t here last year. Why are you calling me?”
Frank told him he was directed to Glismann because Crew was unavailable, and then asked the Superintendent how he would feel if it were his own child in the situation. “If I tell my kids not to go around certain people, they listen,” Glismann replied, according to Frank.
Tecumseh Superintendent Norm Glismann replied with the following statement:
"Mr. Frank’s characterization of our telephone conversation is not accurate. I did my best to respond to his questions and concerns, but it was difficult for me to do since I am in my first year in the district and thus not knowledgeable about what occurred prior to my arrival. I did not ask Mr. Frank why he called me.
During the conversation Mr. Frank asked me what I would do as a parent if I had children attending a school and if I had concerns about an adult at the school. I told him that I would tell my children to stay away from and avoid that person. He asked if I thought that was enough. I said that my children would trust me and listen to me regarding a situation like that.
During the conversation he stated that he’d had a conversation last year with Mrs. Crew and that she provided him with information obtained from the school district’s attorney. Based upon that, I said it seemed that Mrs. Crew was the most appropriate party in the office to respond to his questions. I told him that I would ask Mrs. Crew to call him, and I did that. Mrs. Crew called him the next day."
He said that Crew then called him back the next day, echoing Glismann’s response by reportedly stating: “She’s here as a parent. We presented the matter to the Board and they said it is okay for Mastin to attend her child’s games at Tecumseh.”
The Frank family was outraged by the district’s response, insisting that Mastin should not be placed in an environment that could allow her to commit the same offense.
“She shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near a school,” said Frank. “She should not be given that opportunity again. Tecumseh could stand up and say that there will never be a sexual predator in the school again, but they don’t. Tecumseh has not once reached out us since this happened.”
The family then turned to Mastin’s parole officer and county court system to see if her attendance at school events and involvement with the basketball team was permitted by the terms of her sentence. Mastin’s parole officer said that her legal boundaries are clearly defined in her court docket, and also reportedly told Frank that Judge Richard O’Neill, who sentenced Mastin, also stated that she was not in violation, yet no further clarification was given.
After his inquiry with the Clark County Sheriff’s Office, Deputy Triego told Frank that she would look into the matter and get back to him.
“Mrs. Mastin is violating no laws or court orders from Judge O'Neill who sentenced her” said an email from the Clark County Sheriff’s Office. “She has complied with her probation and registered every 90 days as required. Deputy Trego found out that Tecumseh School officials allowed her to volunteer with her sons basketball team which does not violate the law provided she is supervised by another adult while volunteering. “
Franks said that other parents need to know about the district’s acceptance of Mastin’s involvement with the basketball team, and explained the situation on a New Carlisle social media platform on Friday, which garnered more than 500 comments before the original post was removed.
“They need to know—they need to be mentally prepared for it,” he said.
Frank said his son’s involvement with Mastin began at “an off-campus study group in another student’s home while the parents were home.” He also said that Mastin then began using her position as a guidance counselor to write passes for his son to “get out of class so they could make out.”
“They would text each other from six a.m. until midnight,” Frank said. “It went on for months.”
When asked how he finally found out about the affair, Frank simply replied: “I was in the bathroom at a Tecumseh basketball game. A friend told me.”
At first Frank felt as though he had full support of Tecumseh School Board and the justice system. “They failed us,” he said.
Frank said the school and court treated the situation simply as a midlife crisis by Mastin, and that she was acting out of her mental capacity. Meanwhile, a Tier-Two sex offender was given seven years in prison for a similar incident at another county school that did not involve sexual contact.
Frank said that his son continued school at Tecumseh but was “harassed.”
“His car was searched multiple times for tobacco or pot, but they never found anything.”
He said his son was suspended for three games his senior year after a “picture surfaced of him drinking underage.” When he did return to the court it was to chants of “Where’s the teacher?”
“A kid’s life is affected here” said Frank.
The Tecumseh Local School District would not respond to questions but did release a statement that reads:
“The Tecumseh Local School District is committed to ensuring a safe environment for all of our students and takes that responsibility seriously.
Athletic activities are public events. As a parent, Mrs. Mastin is permitted to attend public events and has been part of the team dinners that take place prior to the events. During these events, she has no unsupervised contact with any minors.
She is not permitted to volunteer in any capacity with the school district and is not an approved volunteer. The board does not vote on attendance at public events, such as athletic games.
The board is aware of a recent concern brought to the district about Mrs. Mastin's attendance at athletic events.”
The email from the Sheriff’s Office states that a complete report will be ready on Monday. It also states that Deputy Trego suggested to Mastin Friday morning that she may want to consider her thoughts on volunteering due to the outcry from the parents. Mastin called Deputy Trego back Friday afternoon and stated “she thought about what Deputy Trego told her and resigned her volunteer position. She will attend the games only as a spectator/parent.”
The Tecumseh Board of Education will hold their next meeting on Tuesday, February 23 at 7pm in the Arrow Conference Room.
Full Report from the Clark County Sheriff's Office
Case # 16-0540On
January 27th, 2016, I received a voice mail from a concerned father who had questions in reference to sex offenders. His name was Chad Frank. I returned Mr. Frank's phone call but got his voice mail. About a half hour later, Mr. Frank called me back. He started explaining that his son was the victim of Kristin Mastin, who was the guidance counselor at Tecumseh High School. Mr. Frank went on to advise that he recently found out that Mrs. Mastin has been volunteering at the high school. He stated that he was furious. He went on to describe how he had spoken with the superintendent and assistant superintendent with the school and told them that he could not believe they would allow a sex offender to be volunteering, after what had happened to his son. Mr. Frank stated that he still had a child attending Tecumseh High School. I explained to Mr. Frank that Mrs. Mastin has checked in with me as she is required to do so every 90 days, and that as long as she does not live within 1000 feet of a school she is considered compliant. I did look in her file, at the Judgment Entry, and at her probation rules. I advised Mr. Frank that there was nothing stated about her being able or not being able to be at the school, or volunteering. Her probation rules state that she is not allowed to be around any children unsupervised other than her own. I advised him that I would speak to her probation officer, and I would call him as soon as I had more information. Mr. Frank was ok with me getting back with him.
First thing the next morning, I contacted Mrs. Mastin's probation officer. She advised that Mrs. Mastin was and has been compliant with all of her probation rules and requirements, as well as all orders issued by the court. I let her probation officer know that I follow the rules of the court, probation, parole, and the sex offender registration requirements. We discussed the legality of Mrs. Mastin's actions and concluded that Mrs. Mastin has not violated her probation, or committed any crimes. She is in total compliance with all of the rules and regulations of not only her probation, but as a registered sex offender.I contacted Chad Frank again on January 28th, as I had told him I would. I advised that I had spoken with Mrs. Mastin's probation officer, and that Mrs. Mastin was both compliant with her probation, but also with my requirements as the sex offender registration officer. Mr. Frank's main concern is her volunteering as a team mom. He understands that her children attend Tecumseh Schools, and knows she will be a spectator. He told me he appreciated me returning his calls, and that he would contact me at a later date if anything were to transpire.
I was able to make contact with Mrs. Mastin, in reference to Mr. Frank's concerns. The subject of her volunteering after school was discussed. Later, Mrs. Mastin made contact with me and advised that she had thought about what I had said, and thought it would be best if she resigned from volunteering. She stated that she would attend games only as a spectator.
Deputy Adrienne Trego
