Teacher, basketball coach formally charged with sexual misconduct with a minor

WARSAW, Ind. (WANE) - A Warsaw Community School teacher and coach has been charged with sexual misconduct with a minor after police say he admitted to having an inappropriate relationship with a 14-year-old former student.

Baatz was formally charged on Thursday during an initial hearing. He is scheduled to have a status conference on Sept. 17 and a pretrial conference on Oct. 22 in Allen County Superior Court.

Tyler J. Baatz, 26, of North Parker Street in Warsaw, was booked into the Kosciusko County Jail on Tuesday. On Wednesday, his bond was set at $20,000. The charge he is facing is a class B felony.

According to an affidavit of probable cause, the student told police she had a personal relationship with the eighth grade Edgewood Middle School teacher.  It started during the last couple of months of the 2011-2012 school year and continued into the 2012 summer.

Police said the student told them she and Baatz were texting "statements of love and sexual connotations."

She said during the summer she would go to Baatz's summer school classroom to visit.  While in the classroom, the two hugged and kissed on several of these occasions.

The student went on to tell police between August 1 and August 18, Baatz took her to his apartment at the 400 block of N Parker Street in Warsaw. While in the apartment, she said there were sexual encounters.

Police spoke with Baatz, who admitted that in the summer of 2012, the student would hug and kiss in the classroom.  Baatz also said that he picked up the student in the past three weeks, and took her to his apartment.

In an affidavit of probable cause, Baatz admitted he inappropriately touched the student inside his apartment.

This school year would be Baatz's fourth year at the Warsaw middle school.  He also coaches middle school girls' basketball.

Superintendent of Warsaw Community Schools, Dr. Craig Hintz said "it was totally a surprise to me."

Dr. Hintz was informed of the arrest and charges against Baatz on Tuesday evening. Dr. Hintz said the school is conducting an investigation of its own but would not release details.

Dr. Hintz added Baatz was suspended with pay until the Warsaw Police Department's investigation is complete.

"We know that we've had a bump in the road," Dr. Hintz said.  "When that occurs in an organization, then we have to take decisive action to protect all our students, are staff, and our community, and to be open and transparent with our community.  We do not like what's happened at all, but we know the facts now.  Certainly as an organization, we must move forward as best we can, because we have a huge job ahead of us with 7,000 students in our school corporation."

The Kosciusko County Prosecutor's office said Baatz will make his initial court appearance Thursday in superior court, unless Baatz bonds out.