Former West Geauga football coach Lou Cirino has been charged with two felonies after being investigated for inappropriate relationships he had while employed at West Geauga High School, according to a Geauga County Grand Jury indictment.
Former West Geauga football coach Lou Cirino has been charged with two felonies after being investigated for inappropriate relationships he had while employed at West Geauga High School, according to a Geauga County grand jury indictment.
Cirino was arrested by Chester Township police and the Geauga County Sheriff’s Office April 12 and remained in jail until his first court appearance April 15 at Geauga County Common Pleas Court in front of Judge Carolyn Paschke.
Appearing via video, Cirino, 40, a 2002 West Geauga graduate whose address changed from Columbia Station to Warwick Lane in Chester, pleaded not guilty and posted his 10 percent of $10,000 cash or surety bond.
The indictment states Cirino engaged in sexual conduct with a student during his time as a West Geauga teacher and coach between 2009 and 2010, which is sexual battery.
It also states Cirino had sexual contact with someone under 13 years old between 2004 and 2005, which is gross sexual imposition.
The victim was the same in both charges, said Chester Township Police Chief Craig T. Young. “After an exhaustive investigation by our detective bureau, we were able to get here,” Young said.
Cirino’s lawyer, Joseph R. Klammer, of Mentor, said in an email: “These allegations are from nearly 20 years ago. Imagine if you were left to defend allegations from decades ago. Fortunately he has the support of a big loving family — the entire family is prepared to defend the charges.”
Both charges label Cirino “a sexually violent predator.” Both are third-degree felonies.
“Chester police did a great job,” Geauga County Prosecutor Jim Flaiz said.
Strongsville Schools placed Cirino on administrative leave when the investigation began in December. Cirino has been a government teacher at Strongsville High School since 2017.
After the Strongsville Schools Board of Education took heat from parents for firing him as head football coach that December, officials confirmed that a woman from Cirino’s past at West Geauga wrote an email that was referred to the Strongsville Police Department, then referred the matter to Geauga County.
“Strongsville police received an allegation against Mr. Cirino that was forwarded to the Chester police department since it allegedly occurred when he was employed by West Geauga Schools. Chester Police are investigating the matter,” Flaiz wrote in an email in December.
“On Dec. 10, the Chester Township Police Department was made aware of an allegation that a former staff member of West Geauga High School had an inappropriate relationship with a 16-year-old student during the 2007-2008 school year,” Young wrote in a media release. “Investigators are in the process of determining exactly when and where these allegations occurred. The investigation is in its initial stages, and no additional information can be released at this time.”
Cirino started teaching at West Geauga in 2007 and became an assistant defensive coach for the football team thereafter.
West Geauga Schools Superintendent Richard Markwardt said in an emailed statement: “On Monday, Dec. 11, 2023, the West Geauga Local School District learned that a former staff member who worked in the district in 2007-2008 is the subject of a police investigation. West Geauga will cooperate fully with any such investigation to the best of its ability.”
Cirino had been fired as head football coach at Strongsville after it was discovered that Mustangs players had stolen about $1,000 in merchandise from the retail store at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, according to cleveland.com.
At a Dec. 7 Strongsville school board meeting, a crowd of Cirino supporters urged the board to reverse its decision. A petition circulated by parents to reinstate Cirino had reached 1,769 signatures, stating:
“Our beloved coach Lou Cirino has been unjustly released from his position as the head coach of the Strongsville High School football team. This is a devastating blow to our community, as Lou is more than just a coach; he is a mentor, teacher, and highly respected member of our community.”
When the investigation began into the alleged crimes at West Geauga, Flaiz said the statute of limitations for rape and sexual battery cases had changed to 25 years.
Cirino’s next court appearance was assigned to Geauga County Common Pleas Judge David M. Ondrey.
The third-degree felony is a high tier charge, said Flaiz, carrying a maximum 60-month prison sentence on each charge.
If convicted of the most serious charge, Cirino would also be required to register as a Tier 3 sex offender, which is lifetime registration.
