By Kathy Chaffin
kchaffin@salisburypost.com
MOCKSVILLE ó A former teacher with the Davie County Schools was scheduled to go before an Ohio judge today for a hearing on whether he will be extradited back to North Carolina to face charges stemming from alleged sexual activity with a female student.
Douglas Lee Ebersbach, 50, of Mocksville was arrested Saturday in New Philadelphia, Ohio, where he is believed to have fled to stay with family members after learning that he was under investigation by the Davie County Sheriff’s Department, according to Sheriff Andy Stokes.
Ebersbach was charged with four counts of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, one count of taking indecent liberties with a minor and one count of breaking and entering. Stokes said the charges stem from an investigation which started after the mother of the victim found the teacher in her home.
“He couldn’t explain why he was there and he left,” the sheriff said.
The fact that Ebersbach had gained entry to the house led the mother to suspect that something was going on with her daughter, Stokes said.
Ebersbach was located in New Philadelphia and arrested at about 2 a.m. Saturday, the sheriff said. He was being held in the New Philadelphia Jail Tuesday without bond pending this afternoon’s hearing.
Investigators with the Davie Sheriff’s Department plan to meet privately at 4 p.m. this afternoon with students taught by Ebersbach and their parents. The meeting will be held in the Davie High School gym, and no one else other than the superintendent and school personnel will be allowed to attend.
“We suspect that there have been other instances,” Stokes said. “It is obvious this behavior has gone on for some time, and the investigation is in its early stages. We’re just not sure right now how many students are involved.”
Superintendent Dr. Robert Landry is encouraging everyone to cooperate with the investigation. The Davie County Schools has Student Services’ personnel who are prepared to talk with any students and parents who may need counseling as a result of their participation in the investigation.
Ebersbach began his employment with the Davie County Schools in March of 2006. He taught at South Davie Middle School for three years before being transferred to William Ellis Middle School at the beginning of this school year due to budget and staff reductions.
He resigned Sept. 27, and the criminal investigation began Sept. 29.
Bill Campbell, public relations and community schools director for the system, said, “People are innocent until proven guilty in our country. However … if he is found guilty of misconduct during the time that he was employed by Davie County Schools, the superintendent has the authority to recommend to the state superintendent that Mr. Ebersbach’s license to teach be suspended or revoked.”
The school system released more information about the former teacher on Tuesday afternoon. Though state statutes only permit school systems to release limited information about current and former employees, local boards of education are allowed upon the recommendation of the superintendent “to release confidential information from an employee’s personnel file if the board has determined that the release of the information is essential to maintaining the integrity of the board.”
In a memo to the board on Monday, Superintendent Dr. Robert Landry wrote, “In light of the above law, I recommend that the board allow me to release the following information about Mr. Ebersbach’s employment to maintain the integrity of the board.”
Board members agreed to release the following information provided by Landry:
– “According to (Ebersbach’s) criminal background check, he was arrested on Dec. 8, 1982 and charged with desertion from the U.S. Navy when he was 23 years of age. We do not know whether or not he was ever convicted of those charges.
– “Mr. Ebersbach graduated from Kent State University on Dec. 13, 2003 when he was 44 years of age.
– “Mr. Ebersbach was employed as a substitute teacher by several school districts in Ohio and North Carolina until he was employed by the Wayne County Schools in August 2005 until February 2006.
– “We have recently heard that allegedly there were complaints about his employment while he was at South Davie. We are conducting an internal investigation into those allegations.
– “Mr. Ebersbach requested and was granted sick leave beginning Sept. 15, 2009 and submitted a statement from a physician in support of his request for sick leave.
– “He was still out on sick leave when he resigned by an e-mail from an out-of-state location on Sept. 27, 2009.
– “Davie County Schools didn’t learn until Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2009 that Mr. Ebersbach was being investigated by the Davie County Sheriff’s Department.
– ” There are other questions that we are still investigating.”
Campbell said in an earlier news release that the school system and its staff are cooperating fully with the sheriff’s department investigation.
Contact Kathy Chaffin at 704-797-4249.