Williamsport teacher faces school code charges post-acquittal

The Williamsport Area School Board is pursuing disciplinary action against Christopher P. Yoder, a high school teacher who has been suspended. Although he was acquitted of sexual misconduct charges in three criminal cases, the school board alleges that he violated Pennsylvania school laws. Yoder, 46, who teaches 10th-grade math, faces accusations of immorality and neglect of duties. The allegations detail inappropriate contact with an eighth-grade female student between September 2011 and January 2012, as well as misconduct involving other female students from 2018 to 2021. In court, Yoder was acquitted of statutory sexual assault and other serious charges. A district judge dismissed one case due to a lack of evidence. Despite his acquittals, the school board's investigation includes multiple allegations, including sexual touching and inappropriate comments to female students. Yoder has the right to request a hearing to contest the charges, although the deadline to do so might have passed. If he fails to contest the charges, he risks termination. An internal investigation is also underway into another suspended staff member, Principal Roger W. Freed, who has also faced similar allegations and was acquitted of criminal charges.