Previous discipline report is not included in personnel file of dismissed assistant principal and coach

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - Further details regarding the hiring and background of a now former Lake High School football coach and assistant principal have come to the light.

As reported earlier this week, documents from another school district show Joshua Andrews having an inappropriate texting relationship with a student. But it doesn’t look like those files ever made it to his job at Lake School District.

While these records are easily accessible online through the Ohio Department of Education’s website, they’re not present in Andrews’ Lake Local Schools personnel file. According to the records, there was a consent agreement dated 2011 during Andrews’ tenure at Swanton Local Schools.

That agreement alleges Andrews: “treated several students as his peers, and sent the students’ text messages which were too friendly and excessive in view of appropriate teacher-student behavior.” The agreement includes text messages from Andrews, saying in part, “when ur 18 we can be friends lol” to a student.

His Lake Local personnel file includes contracts he signed with the district in various coaching capacities, along with his 2017 contract for an assistant middle school/high school principal position.

Before his departure this week, Andrews served as high school assistant principal and head football coach.

While Lake Schools District completed several Bureau of Criminal Investigation background checks, no criminal history popped up. In addition, none of the background checks revealed the text message consent agreement from 2011.

Beyond the several background checks, the consent agreement was never addressed in a recommendation letter from Swanton Schools’ Park Elementary principal Paulette Baz.

In her letter, Baz states that “it’s a pleasure to write the letter” and says Andrews “would be an asset to Lake Local School district and community.

However, five years prior to the letter of recommendation, Baz served as Swanton’s superintendent. During her time in the position, she completed the text message investigation in which she said, “I believe there has been a violation of the district’s anti-harassment policy,” Baz said.

Baz said in a statement to 13abc: “please understand that despite no longer being with the school district, I remain responsible to the laws that inhibit me from commenting on personnel matters other than to confirm that an individual was or was not employed. All comments concerning Josh Andrews during his employment in the Swanton school district must be directed to Swanton.”

13abc reached out to Lake Superintendent Jim Witt Thursday to learn why the consent agreement doesn’t appear in Andrews’ personnel file. District officials have yet to return the request to comment.

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