He also will have five years of parole and was designated a Tier III sex offender. The highest level, it will require him to register his address with his local sheriff’s office every 90 days for the rest of his life.
Credit: Greene County Jail
Credit: Greene County Jail
According to the Greene County Prosecutor’s Office, Fricsons was “involved” with a high school student having family issues who Fricsons allowed to stay in his home. At the time, Fricsons was a Fairborn High School teacher and Junior ROTC instructor.
Ohio Department of Education records show that Fricsons had one-year temporary military science licenses in effect from July 2016 through July 2022.
For almost a year, the prosecutor’s office said that Fricsons provided the student with alcohol and marijuana, leading to “an intimate relationship.” A search warrant executed at the home found child sexual abuse material, which led Fairborn police to identify a second juvenile who was not his student.
Court records show the original 40 charges each of sexual battery and pandering sexually-oriented material came in pairs tied to 40 dates between April 2021 and April 2022.
The first charge had a listed offense date of April 27, 2021, followed by a nearly eight-week gap before the next date of June 18.
During that interval, Fairborn City Schools held two pre-disciplinary hearings.
The first, on May 12, 2021, was “to discuss allegations made against Maj. Fricsons by a parent” that he drove students in his personal car, fraternized with students at his home, communicated with students on social media on non-school matters, was seen with his arm around students and counseled students who approached him about personal issues, according to a letter in Fricsons’ personnel file.
Superintendent Gene Lolli wrote a letter a week later on May 19 that Fricsons violated four school policies, including policies on staff ethics and student supervision.
In the letter, Lolli advised Fricsons “not to associate or fraternize with students at any time in a manner that may give the appearance of impropriety” and said to “maintain professional staff/student boundaries.” He said further violations could result in disciplinary action.
Two weeks later, the district put Fricsons on paid administrative leave following allegations that included Fricsons posting photos of female students and recent graduates to his personal Facebook account, some with his arm around the students, according to a letter in his personnel file.
The second pre-disciplinary hearing was held June 10, and on June 23 administrators issued a written warning to Fricsons for violating the same four policies, along with two technology policies.
In the letter, Lolli wrote, “It is a concern that after (the May 2021 hearing process), you chose to post pictures of students with your arm around them in a public format when this could be alleged to show fraternizing and impropriety.”
There was another warning of stricter discipline, but the same day Fricsons was cleared to return to work.
According to court records, Fricsons’ second sexual battery and pandering sexually-oriented material charge happened on June 18, between the second hearing and when he was cleared to return to work.
Offense dates listed in the charges then become much more frequent in July and August 2021.
Police arrested Fricsons on May 6, 2022, after an investigation, and he was held without bail as the case progressed, the prosecutor’s office said. At the time, Fricsons resigned from the school district.
Greene County Prosecutor David Hayes praised the judge’s sentencing of Fricsons to 12 to 16 years.
“His methodical, monthslong abuse of the Fairborn High School student in this case represents a betrayal of every trust that was placed in him,” Hayes wrote. “He failed in his responsibility as an educator, and he brought shame to the uniform that he wore.”
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