Former principal arrested on sexual misconduct charges

MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. (WANE)  Update. Saturday, Oct. 20: Brian Strauss was released from jail on Saturday. According to police, he was released on bond Saturday in LaPorte County.

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The former principal of South Adams Elementary School has been arrested in LaPorte County, Indiana on several counts of having an inappropriate sexual relationship with a student while he was a teacher there.

Brian Strauss has been charged with two felony counts of Sexual Misconduct with a Minor, one felony count of Child Solicitation and one felony count of Vicarious Sexual Gratification.

His arrest was the result of an investigation by the LaPorte County Sheriff's Department  after a female student  informed a detective on August 12, 2012  that she had been involved in an inappropriate relationship with Strauss while he was a school teacher employed by the South Central Community School Corporation.   The alleged sexual relationship took place during the 2008/2009 and 2009/2010 school years when the student was in ninth and tenth grade.  

Strauss was arrested at his home in Michigan City on Thursday and is being held in the LaPorte County Jail on a $35,000 bond.

According to court documents, the relationship began during the summer of 2008 with a casual conversation. That conversation became sexual in nature during the fall of 2008 when the student was a freshman in high school.  The relationship escalated to the point where the student would perform sex acts that Strauss viewed via the internet using a web camera.  

The student told the detective that between ninth and tenth grade the two had several sexual encounters at South Central Jr/Sr High School.

Court documents also indicate the two had sexual encounters while the student was enrolled in drivers education as Strauss was one of the instructors.  The student and Strauss would fabricate additional driving time to allow for these encounters.

On September 12, the detective contacted the superintendent of South Central Community Schools to verify that Strauss was a teacher there during the timeframe of the alleged incidents.  The superintendent verified Strauss' employment and told the detective that he had resigned in 2010 to take a position as principal at South Adams Elementary School in Berne.

On September 29, an investigator with the Indiana State Police recorded an interview with Strauss where he admitted to having the relationship.  Strauss told the investigator that he had attempted to end the relationship, but the student would reassure him that everything was alright.  Strauss also said he allowed the relationship to continue because he enjoyed receiving the attention and he did not believe his behavior was unlawful.  

Strauss took the job of principal of South Adams Elementary in 2010 and resigned from that position  on October 3, 2012.  Scott Litwiller, the superintendent of South Adams schools issued the following statement in a press release following the resignation:  “Mr. Strauss informed me that he is under investigation in relation to his previous employment in another county. The investigation does not involve his work for or presence in South Adams Schools.”

After learning of his arrest, the district issued this statement: The South Adams Community is saddened to hear the news of Mr. Strauss’ arrest. The school first learned that there was an investigation in LaPorte County when he resigned the first week in October. But we did not know the details of the investigation. Mr. Strauss came to South Adams in 2010 after completing an extensive application process and with superb recommendations from his supervisors and colleagues at South Central Schools. The LaPorte County Sheriff’s Department told me that the arrest does not involve any wrongdoing during his presence at South Adams Schools. Rather, it is the result of an investigation that was initiated after a report of an inappropriate relationship between Mr. Strauss and a former student at South Central Schools.

Investigators do not believe Strauss was involved in any inappropriate relationships with students while he was employed by South Adams schools.