A Pennsylvania high school track and field coach allegedly had a sexual relationship with a teenage student for over a year, prosecutors said.
Hannah Marth, 26, was a teacher and sports coach in the Easton Area School District while she was with a 17-year-old student-athlete from May 2021 to October 2022, Northhampton District Attorney Terence Houck said.
“A trusted relationship between a student athlete, an athlete’s parent and a coach can be a vulnerable one,” Houck said in a statement.
“An abuse of that relationship shows a coach’s blatant disregard for the well-being of those she or he coached, and above all – the law. This defendant defied that trust when she committed this alleged crime against the victim.”
School Superintendent David Piperato sent Fox News Digital an emailed statement on Friday about Marth’s arrest and felony charges of institutional sexual assault and sexual assault by a sports official.
“As a practice, the school district does not comment on ongoing criminal matters or personnel matters,” said Piperato, who didn’t say if Marth is still an employee in the district or on leave.
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“However, the school district intends to cooperate fully with the authorities in this matter and will take all necessary action to ensure the safety of our students.”
Marth is no longer listed on the district’s website among the faculty, as of Friday morning.
The alleged relationship started when Marth was a javelin coach and texted the 17-year-old student at 2 a.m. on May 22, 2021, to come to her house to have sex, the District Attorney’s Office said.
She allegedly confessed to having “romantic involvement” with the victim, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
The victim told investigators that they were “in a relationship” that ended in October 2022, the District Attorney’s Office said.
Marth was arraigned Thursday afternoon and released on $75,000 bond.
