Update: Ohio State staff member arrested for grabbing student’s genitals

Michael Huson
Wed, 16 Nov 2016 05:04:59 +0000
Campus, campus, Campus crime, featured, ohio state, Ohio State staff member, sexual imposition, thompson library

The incident occurred on Thursday. Credit: Lantern File Photo

A male staff member at Ohio State was arrested by University Police after allegedly grabbing a male student’s genitals on the Oval on Thursday. The Lantern first reported the incident on Tuesday.

A Franklin County Municipal Court affidavit, obtained Tuesday afternoon, states Jonathan Leidheiser-Stoddard, a 34-year-old graduate teaching associate, admitted to University Police that he grabbed the student.

The incident was also witnessed by multiple individuals, according to a complaint filed with Franklin County Municipal Court.

Leidheiser-Stoddard, a doctoral candidate in the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures, according to OSU records, was arrested at Thompson Library that day.

The victim reported that he did not know Leidheiser-Stoddard at the time the incident occurred.

University spokesman Ben Johnson said Leidheiser-Stoddard’s current employment status could not be released to the public because he is a student employee protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.

Office of Administration and Planning spokesman Dan Hedman said details could not be provided beyond information included in the University Police’s daily log because the case is ongoing and Leidheiser-Stoddard is scheduled to appear in court.

Leidheiser-Stoddard was charged with sexual imposition, a third-degree misdemeanor, and is scheduled to be arraigned Friday morning. He did not respond to a previous request for comment.

Mitch Hooper contributed to this article.