EASTON, Pa. – A high school track and field coach in Pennsylvania was arrested and charged with sexually assaulting a male student whom she admitted to being romantically involved with, prosecutors alleged.
Hannah Marth, 26, a javelin coach with the Northampton Area High School track team, was taken into custody after police learned she had engaged in a sexual relationship with the student-athlete, prosecutors allege. She is also an Easton Area School District teacher, according to The Morning Call.
On May 22, 2021, Marth sent the teen a text message and invited the boy to her home where the two reportedly engaged in sex. The woman was the javelin coach during the time while the student was an active member of the track and field program, the Northampton District Attorney said in a news release.
The coach reportedly confessed to investigators that she and the teen were romantically involved in May 2021, according to prosecutors.
Javelin coach and teacher Hannah Marth acknowledged that she and the student were romantically involved in May 2021, according to investigators. (Image via New York Post)
The student-athlete, 17, said during an interview with investigators that he and Marth were in a relationship that lasted until October 2022, according to the district attorney’s office.
Marth has been charged with institutional sexual assault and sexual assault by a sports official. Each offense is a third-degree felony, the New York Post reported.
“A trusted relationship between a student-athlete, an athlete’s parent, and a coach can be a vulnerable one,” said District Attorney Terence Houck. “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.”
Easton Superintendent David Piperato said in a statement the school where Marth teaches was made aware of the allegation and subsequent arrest. They are fully cooperating with authorities “and will take all necessary action to ensure the safety of our students,” The Morning Call reported.
Marth, who was a standout member of the track and field team when she attended Northampton, was arraigned Thursday and later released on $75,000 unsecured bail.
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