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	Ohio Suspends Teaching License of Ex-Sjcc Counselor By Mark Tower The News-Messenger November 17, 2010 http://www.thenews-messenger.com/article/20101117/NEWS01/11170307/State-suspends-license-of-ex-SJCC-staffer FREMONT -- A local high school counselor who resigned after being sanctioned by the Ohio Department of Education will not be working as an educator anytime soon. The department suspended former St. Joseph Central Catholic counselor Kevin Yeckley's teaching license through July 2012 as discipline for "engaging in conduct unbecoming a licensed educator" by violating the terms an earlier consent agreement. Yeckley signed a consent agreement with the ODE in September stating his teaching license issued in 2007 is suspended until it expires June 30, 2012. His pupil activity supervisor permit issued in 2008 will be suspended until it expires June 30, 2011. The agreement states, "Respondent is prohibited from performing any educational activities, coaching activities or other duties within the State of Ohio that require a certificate, license or permit through the Ohio Department of Education during the suspension period." Yeckley agreed to not reapply for any license, permit or certificate with the state until after July 2, 2012. He also acknowledged completing three hours of training on maintaining appropriate teacher-student boundaries and a fitness to teach evaluation, both required by a consent agreement between Yeckley and the ODE signed in March. The new agreement states that the ODE will not hold the disciplinary action against Yeckley on future license applications, as long as he is not convicted of a criminal offense or found to be immoral, incompetent, negligent or guilty of other conduct unbecoming his position. The earlier consent agreement sanctioned Yeckley for a relationship he had with a female student that violated "appropriate student-teacher boundaries." According to the initial investigation completed by the Diocese of Toledo, Yeckley had a relationship with a female student that began in 2006. In 2008, he told her he had feelings for her. Both Yeckley and the student denied any sexual contact or abuse during that time. Though Yeckley worked as a counselor at the Catholic high school, part of the recently formed Bishop Hoffman school district, the majority of his salary was paid with state auxiliary funds allocated for non-public schools, and he was technically an employee of Fremont City Schools. One of the terms of that March consent agreement was to report the disciplinary procedure to his employer, the city's school district. He failed to notify Fremont City Schools. SJCC principal Mike Gabel also did not report the state sanctions to the public school district.
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