Slapboxing case continued for Montville assistant principal

Montville High School Assistant Principal Tatiana Patten requested and was granted a continuance Thursday of her court case involving allegations that she failed to report suspected abuse after learning of slapboxing bouts taking place in a substitute teacher’s classroom in the fall of 2017.

Her new appearance date in Superior Court in Norwich is Oct. 29.

Patten remains on paid leave from the school district while her court case is pending, according to her attorney, Drzislav “Dado” Coric. He said Thursday morning that someone close to Patten had died and she requested a continuance of her court appearance. Coric has been discussing the case with prosecutors and it appears close to a resolution.

Patten, 59, was one of three Montville school administrators charged in April 2018 with failing to report suspected abuse to the state Department of Children and Families after learning that substitute teacher Ryan Fish had been supervising student slapboxing bouts in his classroom.

DCF learned of the incidents when a student told a social worker he had been bullied at school.

Fish was fired after the discovery and later arrested. His case still is pending but has been sealed by the court, an indication he is seeking a pretrial diversionary program, such as accelerated rehabilitation. The program usually is available to first-time offenders who have no prior criminal record and enables them to get the charges dismissed following a period of probation. Fish’s next court date is Oct. 23.

Also arrested was High School Principal Jeffrey Theodoss. He retired at the end of August and in September, the state decided it would not be prosecuting him.

The third administrator charged, Superintendent Brian Levesque, is due back in court on Oct. 23. He remains on paid leave from the school district.