Panel dismisses Sanford teacher charged with assaulting pupil

SANFORD – An elementary school teacher charged with assaulting a pupil has been fired.

School committee members on Monday voted unanimously to dismiss Christopher Ridge, saying the former Willard School teacher engaged in a pattern of inappropriate behavior and insubordination. The vote followed 40 hours of meetings and deliberations that occurred over a period of weeks.

In a prepared document on their findings, the committee concluded that “Ridge is unfit to teach, unprofitable to the school and that his dismissal is for the good of the school.”

Ridge, 38, became the subject of a dismissal hearing in May after he was indicted by a York County grand jury on two counts of assault against a girl.

He pleaded innocent to the charges.

Ridge had been on administrative leave since March 5.

The school committee said in a five-page report that Ridge subjected a female pupil to repeated unwanted physical contact, which included touching her hair, rubbing her leg, massaging her shoulders and holding her hand.

It isn’t clear whether the pupil is the same person involved in the criminal case.

Ridge’s lawyer, Bill Wilson, said the school committee’s decision was based on a shoddy investigation.

“It’s a miscarriage of justice,” he said. “It was a witch hunt.”

Wilson said he has filed a number of grievances against the school committee, including one against member Diane Ames. Wilson said she may have discussed details of the investigations outside of the closed-door hearings.

He said the decision on whether to appeal Monday’s ruling will depend on the outcome of the grievances.

The school committee’s report, the first public release of information on the investigation, presents other reasons for Ridge’s dismissal besides his alleged treatment of the pupil.

The report said Ridge also singled out pupils of lesser ability, performed at a substandard teaching level and was uncooperative with administrators seeking to evaluate him.

Celeste Anderson, one of the parents who supports Ridge, was angry that the committee decided to dismiss Ridge before the criminal case was resolved.

“I could understand it if he had been found guilty in a court of law,” she said. “But what are we going to say if he’s found not guilty? They’ve ruined a man’s career.”