In the small community of Hudson, Ohio, a high school is facing backlash after it was revealed that one of its 18-year-old students has been indicted for allegedly raping a 9-year-old child. Jeremiah Earl Stoehr, a senior at Hudson High School, is facing several charges, including one count of rape, two counts of kidnapping, gross sexual imposition, and disseminating matter harmful to juveniles.
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Stoehr’s case has stirred a strong backlash from the public, particularly from students and parents connected to Hudson High. Much of the anger centers on Judge Alison Breaux’s perceived lenient treatment of the defendant and then-Summit County Prosecutor Sherri Bevan Walsh’s office’s lackluster response.
The court released Stoehr, who pleaded not guilty, on a $25,000 bond, meaning he only had to pay $2,500 to get out of jail. He was placed on “free-range GPS monitoring with maximum pretrial supervision” and must adhere to a curfew, according to court documents. He is also prohibited from having any contact with the alleged victim. The defendant was allowed to continue attending classes at Hudson High School.
However, the defendant’s attorney later filed a motion to modify the condition of Stoehr’s bail, which Judge Breaux, a Democrat elected in 2016, approved. The new conditions permit Stoehr to attend several school events, such as track meets, a track banquet, and the school prom, while still wearing his ankle monitor. It appears the prosecution did not object to the modification. Walsh, also a Democrat, resigned in February. The Democratic Party appointed Elliot Kolkovich as her replacement.
Several parents spoke with RedState about the revelation on condition of anonymity.
A concerned mom whose daughter attends Hudson High expressed her dismay at Stoehr’s release. She told RedState, “He’s been living life as if nothing happened, going to prom and running track. It’s as if the rights of this boy are valued more than the safety and peace of all other students.”
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Another parent expressed frustration because “there should have been a higher bond” and questioned why his adoptive parents, Paul and Kris Stoehr, allowed him to return to classes. “Yes, he’s got an ankle bracelet on … but maybe make him do a special online thing to graduate,” he said.
Parents and students are also upset with the high school, which just notified parents about Stoehr’s legal status on Monday despite his returning to classes in February.
The mother said her daughter, who first told her about the indictment, “was so angry, so, so angry” after learning about the allegations against her schoolmate.
A father with a child attending the school took issue with the administration’s decision not to notify the parents until months after his arrest and indictment. “Seventy-five days of quiet,” he said. “No transparency by the school or the board about such a serious matter is frankly unacceptable.”
On May 6, the school sent an email forwarded to RedState from Superintendent Dana Addis to parents acknowledging that “one of our high school students is part of a police investigation involving an alleged sexual assault” and assuring them that they are taking steps to ensure the security of other students.
While we are not permitted to discuss specifics of the case, we do want to be clear that this alleged incident did not occur on school property and did not involve another Hudson City School District student. This is a legal issue with the Summit County Prosecutor’s Office and the Summit County Courts.
Since this began, the district has been working with the Hudson Police Department, the prosecutor’s office and the court system. Supportive and protective measures have been in place to keep all students safe since the issue was first brought to the district’s attention.
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However, members of the community feel this notice is too little, too late. One of the parents who spoke with RedState opined that the school “seems more worried about its reputation than the safety of its students” and asserted that “It’s all about rankings and appearances rather than real proactive measures to safeguard its students.”
Indeed, Hudson High School was recently ranked number nine out of all of the state’s schools. “The way the courts have handled this, letting him attend school functions – it’s unacceptable. The school and court seem to be keeping everyone in the dark as long as possible,” one of the fathers said.
Some of the parents highlighted how the school has responded to other controversies involving students making racist statements off campus. The mother said, “The way it was dealt with was so harsh and so severe compared with this” and that Stoehr’s case was “buried.”
When reached for comment, Hudson City Schools reiterated that the “alleged incident did not occur on school property and did not involve another Hudson City School District student” and noted that “the district is extremely limited in what information can be released.”
Others told RedState that after the allegations were revealed, other students gave Stoehr a wide berth. However, some kids have confronted him over the indictment, calling him a “rapist” and showing him pictures of kids to get a reaction, which prompted fears that the troubled 18-year-old might retaliate with violence given his history of aggressive behavior.
Maxwell Hiltner, Stoehr’s attorney, told RedState: “Jeremiah has pleaded not guilty to all charges, he maintains his innocence, and in this country he’s presumed to be innocent. As such, both he and his family are asking for privacy at this time.”
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As the court proceedings continue, Hudson community members remain vigilant now that the indictment against Stoehr has been exposed. The anger against the court and school has only grown since the allegations became widely known. Members of the community are upset that a student facing serious allegations is still integrated into everyday school life without consideration for the feelings of the wider student body and parents.
“I’m astounded that the judge did not do her job. Her job was to protect others from this person, and he’s back in a school with hundreds of kids,” one of the mothers said.
