A Marysville teacher has resigned after admitting to targeting a recent graduate for sexual advances over social media.
The board of education accepted the resignation of second-year teacher Jacob Newland, 25, Thursday night, after administrators learned that he had propositioned a 2019 graduate over the weekend. Newland was also a band and show choir instructor at the school.
The incidents that lead up to Jacob Newland’s removal are very similar to events that landed his brother, Josiah, who was briefly a substitute at Marysville, in jail after sending inappropriate messages to an Olentangy student.
According to Marysville Superintendent Diane Mankins, a 2019 graduate of the district gave officials copies of Snapchat messages sent from a person claiming to be “Ethan Sexman.” In the messages, the sender attempted to initiate a sex act with the male former student.
Through the messages, the sender eventually revealed himself to be Jacob Newland, who knew the victim through the Marysville Marching Band program. Mankins said Newland admitted to targeting the student because he knew him from his involvement in band.
Though a few photos were sent by Newland through the app, none of them were sexual in nature. He also used the app’s location mapping feature to travel to the immediate vicinity of the teen.
The former student came forward Monday afternoon. On Tuesday morning, Newland was placed on paid administrative leave to allow the district to investigate the matter. On Wednesday morning, Newland submitted his resignation.
Mankins said there is no indication that Newland approached the boy while he was still a student at Marysville. Despite that, and the fact that the student is now 18, the behavior is inappropriate Mankins said.
“It is not the way I would expect … Marysville teachers to represent themselves,” she said.
Earlier this year, Josiah Newland, 26, of 22545 Bear Swamp Road, Marysville, pleaded guilty to one count each of felony pandering obscenity involving a minor and felony disseminating matter harmful to juveniles. He last substituted in Marysville in October.
Newland worked for Educational Service Center of Central Ohio, an agency that provides a variety of support and services, including substitute teachers, to school districts in the region.
Josiah Newland was working as a substitute teacher in the Olentangy school district. He also ran a photography studio that catered to local high school students and events. The studio was not connected to the school district. Tracy Whited, public information officer with the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office, said that in April, Josiah Newland used the dating app Grindr to communicate with a 17-year-old student in the Olentangy district. Josiah Newland eventually sent the boy nude photos. Records indicate that Josiah Newland knew the teen and knew he was a student.
Josiah Newland voluntarily surrendered his teaching credentials in November and the State Board of Education accepted them in January.
Mankins said the information about the incident with Jacob Newland will be submitted to the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) and could impact Newland’s ability to obtain a license to teach in the future. She said details have also been turned over to local law enforcement agencies.
Mankins said ODE is currently preparing standards for teachers which deal with relationships with former students, but the policy is not yet in place. She explained that teachers cannot use the classroom to lay foundations for future relationships.
“We all have an obligation to protect kids,” the superintendent said.