Suspended Hamilton High School teacher and coach Hilary Dattilo was hired for the current 2017-18 school year last spring and started her job teaching science and working as a girls volleyball coach in August 2017.
The alleged crimes involve a female student, and the alleged encounters occurred off school property, according to Hamilton police.
Previously, the Mason High School and Walsh University graduate worked as a long-term substitute science teacher at Colerain High School — in northern Hamilton County’s Northwest Schools — from September 2016 until the end of last school year.
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Prior, the 30-year-old Dattilo worked as a substitute instructor at Cincinnati Hebrew Day School from 2014 to 2016 and was employed at the Mayerson Jewish Community Center’s (JCC) aquatics program.
Marc Fisher, chief executive officer for center, recently sent a notice to members stating: “Ms. Dattilo is a former employee of the JCC who more recently taught swim lessons at the Mayerson JCC while employed by our third-party service provider …. and she is no longer permitted on the Mayerson JCC’s premises.”
Fisher wrote: “During her employment, the Mayerson JCC conducted a criminal background check on Ms. Dattilo, most recently in the spring of 2016, which did not reveal any problem. We are not aware of any inappropriate conduct that occurred in connection with Ms. Dattilo during her employment with either the Mayerson JCC or in connection with the Mayerson JCC.”
Dattilo was arraigned earlier this week in Butler County Common Pleas Court on one count of sexual battery, a third-degree felony, and one count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, a first-degree misdemeanor.
Police said parents reported a possible inappropriate relationship between Dattilo and a student.
Dattilo did not respond to phone messages seeking her comments.
A review of her personnel file at Hamilton Schools showed no entries of violations of school district policy, though she is now on unpaid administrative leave, and the Hamilton Board of Education is scheduled to vote on her possible job termination next month.
Hamilton School officials have declined to comment regarding Dattilo’s pending case beyond an initial statement from district Spokeswoman Joni Copas, who said: “As a result of an ongoing investigation conducted collaboratively with the Hamilton City Police Department, the Hamilton City School District has placed a teacher at Hamilton High School on administrative leave pending termination proceedings.
“Simply put, we will not tolerate behavior that places our children in jeopardy.”
Contained in Dattilo’s personnel file is a Dec. 19 letter to her from the Hamilton school board ordering her to stay off Hamilton School properties, away from district events and to have no contact with students, school parents or school staffers.
The sexual battery charge is alleged to have occurred between Nov. 1 and Nov. 22 and the contributing charge between Oct. 1 and Dec. 18, according to the direct indictment handed down by a Butler County grand jury on Monday.
Dattilo, of Monroe, turned herself into police. At arraignment Tuesday she pleaded not guilty and was given a $5,000 bond with the ability to post 10 percent. She was taken into custody by order of Magistrate Harold Reed.
A pre-trial hearing for Dattilo is scheduled for Feb. 8 before Judge Noah Powers.
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