Official statements from ISD and OSD regarding Mr. Jerry Claus

Here are official statements from the Indiana School for the Deaf and the Ohio School for the Deaf regarding the arrest and indictment of Mr. Jerry Claus for unlawful sexual conduct with a minor from a 2005 case. Claus was fired from his job as an ISD elementary school teacher.

We did a news story on March 2.

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FROM ISD:

"Jerry R. Claus was hired as a Teacher of the Deaf at the Indiana School for the Deaf (ISD) on 8/05/2013. He was suspended on 2/15/2021 pending an investigation into whether he failed to notify ISD of pending criminal charges, arrest or conviction. As a result of that investigation, Mr. Claus was dismissed, effective 2/27/2021 for violating the notification policy.

If anyone comes forward with new information, we will follow our standard procedures and report to the Department of Child Services, Child Protection Services and the appropriate law enforcement officials.

Our school counselors, social worker and behavior specialists are working closely with the families to support them and encourage parents to talk with their child(ren) about this.

While we are monitoring the legal process, our mission remains focused on supporting a safe and thriving learning environment for the entire ISD community."

- David Geeslin, ISD Superintendent

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FROM OSD:

"Jerry Claus was a student at the Ohio School for the Deaf and he was employed as a student worker during that time. He has not been employed in any other capacity at OSD."

Erin E. Biehl, M.A.

Public Information Officer

Office of the Superintendent