Who is Corissa McCalister? Ohio Catholic teacher, 21, held for having sex in her car with 15-year-old student
STEUBENVILLE, OHIO: A Catholic high school teacher was accused of seducing her teenage student and having sex with him in her car. The Ohio woman taught Spanish at the Central Catholic High School in Steubenville, where she was arrested on Friday, April 23, and charged with two counts of sexual battery.
Identified as Corissa McCalister, the 21-year-old was released from jail after she posted $100,000 bail, according to Harrison Country prosecutor Lauren Knight. The Harrison County Sheriff's Office reported that it was the student's mother who told school staff about the allegations, although none of them happened on school grounds.
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Who is Corissa McCalister?
On March 30, 2021, Corissa McCalister allegedly drove her 15-year-old student victim to the Harrison County Fairgrounds. McCalister works as the Spanish teacher, the head cross country coach, and as an assistant track coach at the same school her victim attended, and on the night of the main incident, they were driving back from a track meet at the local Edison School. County Sheriff Joe Myers alleged that McCalistser parked at the fairgrounds in Cadiz, Ohio, and then had sex with the juvenile student.
According to her LinkedIn profile, McCalister is a 2020 graduate from St Francis University Loretto, Pennsylvania. She has a bachelor’s degree in Spanish education and minors in English literature and health services. McCalister had also received the 2020 Spanish Award, given to the best overall Spanish major at the institution. Ever since the allegations came to light, she has been put on administrative leave, revealed her school's principal Thomas Costello.
We look forward to Corissa McCalister (Steubenville, OH / Steubenville H.S.) joining our team this fall! pic.twitter.com/I8mJyARZVn
— Saint Francis U XC/TF (@RedFlashXCTF) April 2, 2017
McCalister put on 'administrative leave'
In an official statement from the school, the authorities note "Thomas Costello, principal of Catholic Central High School, Steubenville, after consulting with Diocesan Superintendent Deacon Paul D. Ward, has placed Corissa McCalister, 21, teacher, head cross country coach and assistant track coach, on administrative leave." According to the diocese, the school learned of the allegations on April 21 and the victim's mother adds that principal Costello 'immediately informed the diocese of the allegations and notified local authorities.
On April 23, Harrison County authorities informed the diocese that charges have been filed. During an after-school meeting, the same day, the entire faculty and the high school and junior high schools were also notified by Costello of the charges. "The parents of all high school and junior high students were also notified about the incident through emails," the school's statement addressing the charges continues. Steubenville Bishop Jeffrey M Monforton also said: "I am deeply saddened by news of the allegations and I offer my prayers for healing for the victim and the victim’s family as well as the Catholic Central school community."
News of McCalister's charges comes after another Catholic teacher was accused of having sex with her then-17-year-old student. Dubbed as the 'coolest' teacher, 36-year-old Bridget Sipera was accused of starting up and initiating a sexual relationship with a 'recent graduate' of Camden Catholic High School where she had been teaching literature. Sipera had begun the relationship in January 2019, with it lasting for 18 months, until she was accused in August 2020.