FACCHINI CASE CONTINUED
The court case involving a former Norwich Free Academy assistant coach has been continued to October 30th. Anthony Facchini is accused of having sexual relations with two students. He was fired by the school in July. Search warrants by city and state police and the FBI in connection with the arrest will also remain sealed until at least next week. New London Superior Court Judge Hillary Strackbein issued the continuance.
ALLEGED VICTIM CLAIMS SCHOOL WAITED
NORWICH, Conn. (AP) – The lawyer for a student who says she was sexually assaulted by a former coach at Norwich Free Academy says the school knew about the coach’s alleged misconduct more than a year before it was reported. Attorney Jason Burdick said Monday that school officials knew about 25-year-old Anthony Facchini’s first alleged assault in April 2017. He says the school didn’t report Facchini to police or child welfare officials until June 2018. Facchini is charged with having sex with two students while an assistant football and track coach. He is free on bail after pleading not guilty. He and his lawyer have declined comment. A lawyer and a spokesman for the school both refused comment.
SLAPBOXING CASE IN COURT
Two developments in the Montville High School slapboxing case…Charges against school superintendent Brian Levesque were dismissed today in Norwich Superior Court. He was accused of failing to report slapboxing fights among Montville High School students last Fall supervised by a substitute teacher. Prosecutors agreed to drop the charges since Levesque completed required training courses. He, along with Assistant Principal Tatiana Patten remain on paid administrative leave. Patten is due back in court October 29th. Charges against principal Jeffery Theodoss for failing to report the fights were dropped last month, since he retired in August. Meanwhile, the former substitute teacher who supervised the fights has been granted accelerated rehabilitation. 23-year old Ryan Fish’s record will be wiped clean if he successfully completes state-mandated mental health treatment and completes 40 hours of community service. He was fired from his job last October, after organizing the student fights in his math classroom.
BIDEN TO APPEAR IN CT
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) – Former Vice President Joe Biden is visiting Connecticut to headline a Democratic rally less than two weeks before Election Day. Friday’s event is planned for 3:30 p.m. at the Hartford Magnet Trinity College Academy. Biden will be joined by U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, 5th Congressional District candidate Jahana Hayes, governor candidate Ned Lamont and likely other Democrats appearing on the November ballot. Biden has been traveling the country, campaigning for fellow Democrats. Tuesday marked Biden’s second consecutive day of campaigning in Florida, where he visited a Tallahassee coffee shop before appearing at a rally at the University of Central Florida in Orlando. He has called the upcoming midterm elections a fight for “the soul of America.”
DRUG SENTENCING FOR NL MAN
A New London man will serve 5 years in prison for trafficking narcotics. 35-year old Anthony Whitley pleaded guilty in July to one count of possession with intent to sell heroin, cocaine, and crack. Authorities raided an apartment connected to Whitley and his nephew in March of last year and uncovered heroin, cocaine, crack, a semi-automatic handgun, ammunition, and cash. Whitley has eight prior convictions. His nephew was sentenced to five years behind bars in May. The U-S Attorney’s office in Connecticut announced the sentencing.
RESTAURANT BREAK-IN
State police are asking for the public’s help in apprehending whoever broke into Basil’s Restaurant in Stafford Monday night.. State police say the suspect used a crow-bar type instrument to enter through the front door around 10:30 PM, and stole a tan metal box containing gift cards and cash. The suspect then sped away in a white SUV, traveling westbound on Route 190 in Somers near the Enfield town line. Call state police in Tolland at 860-896-3200 with any information.
SHOOTER’S PERSONAL EFFECTS MUST BE RELEASED
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) – The Connecticut Supreme Court says state police must release disturbing writings and other belongings of the Newtown school shooter to the public because they are not exempt from state open record laws. The court ruled 5-0 Tuesday in favor of The Hartford Courant and state Freedom of Information Commission, whose order to police to release shooter Adam Lanza’s belongings was overturned by a lower court judge. It wasn’t immediately clear when the items will be released. The 20-year-old Lanza fatally shot 20 first-graders and six educators at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012 and killed himself as police arrived. State police had seized Lanza’s belongings from his Newtown home and rejected the Courant’s request to view the items, which included a spreadsheet ranking mass murders and violent stories he wrote.
