Teacher fired after admitting to abuse in 1960s
The Columbus School for Girls fired its German teacher last week after he admitted to committing sexual abuse against a student almost 50 years ago when he taught in the Westerville schools.
Police told CSG officials that two former students, now in their mid-60s, had accused Ronald Nocks, 80, of Westerville, of inappropriate sexual contact when he was their high school teacher in Westerville in the late 1960s.
Nocks was the head of Westerville High School’s Theatre Department from 1963 through 1984. Westerville High School became Westerville South in the 1975-76 school year with the opening of Westerville North High School.
Westerville city spokeswoman Christa Dickey said that Westerville police opened an investigation and no charges have been filed, so they have no further information or comment on the case. Because of the statute of limitations, it is unclear whether any criminal charges could be brought against Nocks.
Westerville City Schools administrators met with the two accusers on Dec. 18, after they requested a meeting, said district spokesman Greg Viebranz. The district called police immediately after hearing the men’s stories, and they went through Nocks’ personnel file to be
“Such behavior, regardless of when it occurred, makes Mr. Nocks unfit to teach at CSG.”
— Jennifer Ciccarelli, CSG’s Head of School
sure there were no other red flags from his time at Westerville schools.
The district asks that anyone with further information about Nocks contact Westerville police.
Jennifer Ciccarelli, CSG’s Head of School, sent out a letter on Dec. 24 to parents and staff, informing them that Nocks was put on administrative leave Dec. 21 during the investigation, and was terminated on Dec. 23 after he admitted to police that the allegations were true in the case of one of the two accusers.
She said Nocks passed a background check when he was hired in 2007 at CSG and again in 2013.
“Let me stress that, at this time, we have absolutely no indication that Mr. Nocks ever engaged in any inappropriate behavior with CSG students or staff,” Ciccarelli’s letter said. “Such behavior, regardless of when it occurred, makes Mr. Nocks unfit to teach at CSG.”
A 2015 student review of him on RateMyTeacher.com said: “Herr Nocks is the best thing at CSG. I mean, he’s phenomenal as a German teacher, but he’s also a really interesting person just in general. A tip — get Nocks off topic. You won’t regret it.”