Colerain student sent to state juvenile lockup for attack on teacher
A Colerain High School student will spend at least the next six months in a juvenile prison for assaulting his special education teacher.
On Friday, Judge Stacey DeGraffenreid sided with prosecutors over the recommendations of both the defense and the probation office when she decided to send the teen to a Department of Youth Services prison.
Read: Special report: Ohio's juvenile detention system struggles with violence, neglect
The attack
Sheri Wooldridge said in court Friday there is a hole in her memory. She recalls the teen coming toward her after she reminded him not to mess with another student, and the next thing she remembers is waking up in the hospital days later.
However, the teen stuck her multiple times in the head, according to prosecutors.
Police said she suffered a severe brain injury as a result of the attack and another student was injured in the melee.
The teen's lawyer, Clyde Bennett II, said his client had unknowingly consumed drugs just before the attack and that the drugs prompted a change in his behavior. Someone had given the boy a vape, Bennett said. Prosecutors said the teen's blood was tested and only showed trace amounts of THC and marijuana.
Wooldridge said she spent weeks at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center and over 40 days at a rehabilitation center relearning to walk and talk. Even after that, she could not be on her own and moved in with her sister.
It wasn't until May that she got to go home and her driving privileges were only granted a few weeks ago.
Wooldridge was approaching retirement after teaching for nearly 30 years. She's still unsure if she'll be able to return to work. Colerain has already hired a replacement with her blessing because she said the kids deserve to have someone there.
"He's changed my life forever," Wooldridge said in court, holding back tears. "Nobody made him vape that day."
She said the teen resented being placed in her special education class, resisted all of her efforts to get through to him and frequently came to class late. She said his mother even warned her not to make him mad.
She asked the court to send the teen to the juvenile prison.
"I feel sorry for society in the future because I don't think this will be the last time he's in court," Wooldridge said.
Prison versus probation
The recommendation from the probation office was to place the teen on probation and send him to Buckeye Ranch, a residential facility in Whitehall, Ohio. The teen's lawyer, Clyde Bennett, agreed.
They pointed to the teen's lack of any prior criminal activity. Bennett said the law requires juveniles to be given a chance in the least restrictive environments.
Assistant Prosecutor Linda Scott argued for a stiffer sentence, saying she was "appalled" by the recommendation.
During an examination by a doctor, the teen showed no remorse for the attack and laughed when he was told about her injuries, Scott said.
In April, the 15-year-old admitted to felony assault as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors to keep his case in juvenile court versus taking it to adult court.
Scott said Buckeye Ranch was not a "lockdown" facility and was not prepared to deal with someone as violent as this teen. While being held at the Hamilton County Youth Center awaiting trial, the teen was involved in more violent incidents, Scott said.
Probation officials said the facility is surrounded by barbed wire and is "staff secured," meaning there is a high ratio of staff to youth. Scott argued he could walk away any time he wanted.
At least six months at juvenile prison
DeGraffenreid said the attack was "senseless on its face." She said due to the teen's lack of remorse and aggressiveness, a Department of Youth Services prison would better serve him.
Many of the same mental health and counseling services available at Buckeye Ranch are also available at the prison's facilities, she said.
He was sentenced to at least 12 months at the prison, but received credit for about half that for time he has already spent in the Hamilton County Youth Center.
However, the sentence is indefinite. If he continues to get in trouble in the prison, he can be kept there until his 21st birthday.
Despite the decision, Bennett said his client was treated fairly.
"My hope is that when he is released from DYS, he can put this matter behind him and go on to do great things," Bennett said.
The teen responded to the judge's questions Friday, but did not apologize to Wooldridge, who was sitting next to him.
After the hearing was over and the teen was taken out the courtroom, his parents and family slowly approached her and her daughter and her friends.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry," they repeated.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Colerain student sent to state juvenile lockup for attack on teacher
