Ohio high school coach Matt Johnsen has been charged with two counts of felony sexual battery and could face up to a decade in prison if convicted.
Johnsen has been an English teacher and swim coach at Hoover High School in North Canton, Ohio for about 15 years, according to the Canton Repository. He was a fixture of the local swimming scene, with an induction into the Greater Canton Aquatic Association Hall of Fame in the spring of 2016. Johnsen was arrested this week and indicted on two felony counts of sexual battery.
According to the Repository, the 40-year-old coach is accused of engaging in sexual conduct with two girls between 2006 and 2008. Both girls were 16 when the sexual contact began. That’s past the age of consent in Ohio, but local prosecutors indicated that because Johnsen was in a coach-athlete relationship with the girls, the conduct would be a third-degree felony if proven in court.
Ohio state law could send Johnsen to prison for up to 10 years if he is convicted. The North Canton school district told the Repository that it was consulting with its attorneys to make a decision on Johnsen’s standing with the district moving forward.
The truth will come out.
To start off i am very sad that this is happening to Mr. Johnsen. I had him as my english teacher this past year and loved him. I dont really like school but me and a couple of friends in his class always looked forward to going to his English class bc learning was fun with him and he is a fantastic teacher! If the allegations are true, people make mistakes but i just hope him and his wife and kids make it through this all ok. Plz keep his family in your prayers.
I had mr. Johnsen my senior year and I really believe these allegations are FALSE. Mr. Johnsen always talked about how dedicated he is to his wife, kids, and his job. He was always kind and caring towards students. I have been in his room multiple times during lunch periods with the swimmers and nothing odd had ever happened, nor have I seen any instances with any other students. He was always kind. I have always had trouble with my father and high school was not a great time for me. There were many times I thought I wouldn’t graduate. However, I saw mr. Johnsen as my “at-school dad.” He encouraged learning and life lessons and made school a comfortable… Read more »
It was first Sam Seiple at Canton McKinley High School now Matt Johnsen at North Canton Hoover. With the lackluster representation and performance of NE Ohio in both the Districts and OHSAA State Meet for decades, it more and more to me
there needs to be not only training from Sexual Harassment to working with minors like one has to do with Special Olympics, working with Boy Scouts, more stringent background checks, and vulnerable children at field camps to nature centers (Secure Volunteer) for coaches, teachers, and any social contact with minors whether it’s in church to the classroom and athletic field. No adult should be one on one contact with any pupil, student, athlete, and minor at any… Read more »
Your comment is ridiculous and makes no sense. Mr. Seiple has never been indicted, NE Ohio has not had a lack luster performance at Districts and States over the past few years and what that would have to do with increased training for working with minors I have no idea. Please gets facts before you lay information out in such a large forum.
There were rumors going around while I attended Hoover. Mr. Johnsen was my English teacher for two years. I graduated in 2007. He always had his swimmers in his room during his lunch or free periods, but I never assumed more was going on behind the scenes. He was a very personable guy. Interesting this happened it with a person who I graduated with.
Ohio’s sexual battery statute: http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/2907.03. R.C. 2907.03(A)(7) applies to teachers, and (A)(9) applies to coaches who aren’t teachers or otherwise affiliated with a school.
I’m not a swimmer, but Mr. Johnsen was my English teacher last year. He was very nice to me and always courteous, however he seemed to blow off the handle a lot. He’s mocked students on several occasions and even admitted to wrongdoing before (forcing a student to recite the Pledge with a threat of detention). We are all shocked here at Hoover, however deep in my mind I sincerely think this is gonna be a rabbit hole. There will be many more girls who come out. I have NO information, however I just have a feeling.
My daughter had mr.Johnson in school and thought he was one of the most helpful teachers at Hoover. I hope these allegations are false.
I also had Mr.Johnsen this past year and am not a swimmer. However, he was one of my favorite teachers at Hoover and was very helpful and really cared about his students. The incident with the pledge of allegiance lasted no more then 20 seconds either, he just told the student to stand and the student said ok and there were no other issues with it.