PA School Watch News Archives

Pennsylvania- Todd Sheerer, Band Director Jailed **UPDATE** Posts Bail AGAIN 03/01/08-16:53 Hat Tip- PA School Watch reader Band director charged with corruption of a minor is behind bars for violating the terms of his bail, law-enforcement officials said Friday. Todd Sheerer, suspended from his duties at Warwick High School, was sent to prison Friday afternoon after he violated a condition of his bail that bars him from contacting the student with whom he is alleged to have had a two-year sexual relationship, police said. The female student is a member of the high school band, and Sheerer was her director. A joint news release issued Friday by Warwick and Lititz police departments states Sheerer recently purchased a new cell phone and used it to reinitiate contact with the minor female within the last few weeks. During a preliminary arraignment in January, District Judge Daniel Garrett barred Sheerer from having any "unsupervised contact with anyone under the age of 18." Sheerer, 29, of 3471 Coronet Ave., is being held in Lancaster County Prison on $250,000 cash bail. In a statement Friday, Warwick School District spokeswoman Lori Zimmerman said the district was part of the most recent investigation involving Sheerer. The statement reads: "Since the onset of this case, the Warwick School District has and will continue to work very closely with law-enforcement officials. We are pleased that as a result of our cooperation the legal process has worked as designed resulting in the arrest of Mr. Sheerer today (Friday). We continue to provide support to the victim and her family as well as any other student in need of our services." Law-enforcement officials allege Sheerer and the girl had intimate sexual contact multiple times over a two-year period. He is facing six counts of corruption of minors. Police in Warwick and Manheim townships were the first to charge Sheerer with corruption of minors for allegedly engaging in sexual acts with the girl, now 17. After the initial charges were filed, police in Manheim and Lititz boroughs and Penn Township also charged Sheerer with corruption of minors. Sheerer joined the Warwick faculty in 2003 and was credited with improving the high school's marching band. He also is director of the high school symphonic and jazz bands and the middle school concert and jazz bands. Since Jan. 21, a substitute teacher has been assigned to Sheerer's classes **UPDATE** A suspended Warwick Township High School band director and teacher is free on bail - again. Todd Sheerer, 29, posted $250,000 cash bail Tuesday after he had been imprisoned Friday for violating the terms of his original bail by contacting his alleged victim, according to a clerk at the office of District Judge Daniel Garrett. Today, Sheerer, of 3471 Coronet Ave., was expected to return to Garrett's office to waive his preliminary hearing on corruption of minors charges in his case. That would mean his case now will go to court. Sheerer was charged by police in Lititz, Manheim, Warwick Township, Manheim Township and Penn Township for allegedly engaging in inappropriate sexual contact over a two-year period with one of his female students, who is now 17. At Sheerer's preliminary hearing in January, Garrett imposed $25,000 unsecured bail on each of six counts of corruption of minors and banned him from having any unsupervised contact with anyone under age 18. But police recently learned he had purchased a cell phone and allegedly used it to contact his alleged victim numerous times. Lititz Police Detective John Schofield said it was the office of Warwick School District superintendent John George that alerted police about the contact, after learning the two were communicating. Lititz and Warwick Township police officers then watched the young woman for three days. They also obtained telephone records, which showed Sheerer's incoming and outgoing calls. Schofield praised the superintendent for his actions. "She was talking, which alerted the superintendent's suspicion, and he contacted us for our assistance," he said Back