Coach facing sex charges
Published 12:00 am Wednesday, May 15, 2002
A Greenwood High School tennis coach and social studies teacher has been charged with five counts of sexual abuse and one count of sodomy with a student, police said. Anthony Arsneault was arrested at his home Tuesday on a warrant and entered a plea of innocent this morning to the charges, which are class D felonies, according to his attorney, Kelly Thompson Jr.The charges involve a 15-year-old female student, Thompson said. A preliminary hearing is set for 11 a.m. Thursday in Warren District Court, during which the county attorney will attempt to prove there is enough evidence for the case to move forward, he said. City police said the case is pending review by a Warren County grand jury. Warren County School Superintendent Dale Brown said allegations were made against Arsneault on April 29, but Brown wouldnt say if the allegations were made by a student. Arsneault has been a teacher at Greenwood for two years. Bart Darrell, attorney for Warren County Schools, said Arsneault has been suspended pending an investigation. The individual has not been in the classroom or working in the Warren County Schools since we learned of the allegations, Brown said. Greenwood High School Principal Peggy Cowles declined to comment on the case. Cowles announced last week that she would be retiring from the principals post at the end of the school year. She is the only principal the high school has had. Arsneault is in jail on a $50,000 bond, which Thompson hopes to get reduced during Thursdays hearing. Thompson said he expects the case to end up in front a jury, but that there will be no medical evidence. Thompson said he thinks the accuser is saying the sexual activity was voluntary. The age of consent in Kentucky is 16. Deborah Highland and Scott Sisco of the Daily News contributed information to this story.