Parents frustrated with long process in Springboro PE teacher investigation

SPRINGBORO — A Springboro mother and father said a former elementary school gym teacher needs to be locked away for what they said he did to their daughter.

They’re frustrated with how long the process is taking to work through the legal system.

The man at the center of it all is Austin Hopkins.

He resigned following allegations of unprofessional misconduct.

But, the parents say, he molested their 7-year-old girl.

Now they have to wait to see what happens.

The Warren County Prosecutor’s Office has the investigation into Hopkins.

It’s important to note that he has not been charged.

The parents who spoke to News Center 7 are concerned that he’s out free.

They want Hopkins’ yearbook picture to turn into a mugshot.

“I want this man convicted,” said the father. “Hands down.”

They said the former gym teacher molested their daughter — in class — and she wasn’t the only one.

“It’s just constant videos of that. Just his hand just always kind of on her stomach, trying to hug them, putting them on their lap,” said the child’s mother.

They watched the same surveillance videos the prosecutor now has to go through.

The parents showed us a letter, sent to them from the prosecutor’s office, which said “it will take our office a considerable amount of time” to review the evidence.

News Center 7 reached out to the prosecutor’s office for comment, but didn’t hear back.

In the meantime, the parents are upset Hopkins is free.

“Why was there never any arrest?” the mom asked.

And they’re concerned for the safety of their community.

“It’s summertime. We all have kids,” the mother said. “We’re at parks. We’re at sporting events. We’re at games. Why do we have to have the fear of running into him?”

Now they say they’re the ones suffering.

“People need to understand that half this community is extremely ruined from one human being and they don’t need it to happen to them,” the mother said.

They think Hopkins should be the one who is punished.

“If you want to look at us and tell us nothing was done wrong, then the state of Ohio needs to change its laws,” she said.