Evergreen teacher in sex case quits job

6/20/2003

METAMORA — Christopher Helle, the assistant band director for Evergreen schools who faces a felony charge of arranging a sexual encounter with a person he thought was a teenage girl, has resigned from his job, moved from Sylvania to Paulding County, and delayed his preliminary hearing in Lima Municipal Court until June 27.

Mr. Helle, 30, whose salary at Evergreen was $33,500, had been assistant band director since the 1997-98 school year. He led the fifth and sixth-grade band and helped with the junior high and high school bands. Together the bands enroll 200 to 250 students.

Evergreen Superintendent Kenneth Jones said he had suggested to Mr. Helle last week that he resign. “He had just called me and wondered what might be the thing for him to do,” Mr. Jones said. “And I suggested he resign and he agreed that was the best thing.”

The school board unanimously approved the resignation this week.

Mr. Helle allegedly initiated contact on an Internet chat room with a Lima police officer posing as a teenage girl. Police said the Internet exchange continued for more than a month. Mr. Helle was charged with importuning because he allegedly told the officer online that he wanted to meet for sex.