Crime & Safety

Interim Teacher & Coach Hired to Replace Sharp

High school officials have filled the teaching and coaching positions left vacant since March 2 when Heather Sharp was arrested and charged with assault and extortion related to a domestic matter.

Somers High School officials have hired someone to take over the math classes left without a teacher when instructor Heather Sharp was arrested earlier this month.

In addition, the junior varsity softball coach has been promoted to oversee the program in Sharp's absence, Principal Gary Cotzin said Monday afternoon.

Sharp was put on paid administrative leave after her March 2nd arrest for allegedly assaulting her partner and taking $20,000 as a condition for her departure from the relationship, according to court records. Sharp is scheduled to appear next in Superior Court in Rockville on April 20.

Find out what's happening in Ellington-Somerswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Although he said that the changes could be temporary, the school system will wait to see what happens during Sharp's court process before making any final decisions about her tenure at the school, Cotzin said it was necessary to hire the replacements.

As of Monday morning James Ketcham took over Sharp's ninth, eleventh and twelfth grade math classes. Ketcham is a familiar face within the school, having served as a long-term substitute last year in the place of a teacher on maternity leave, Cotzin said.

Find out what's happening in Ellington-Somerswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

With softball season on the cusp of the first practice pitch, school officials have promoted junior varsity Coach Melanie Zamorski to oversee the varsity team. Cotzin said officials interviewed several people for the position and that Zamorski, who has been with the JV team for four years, was the clear and logical choice. 

The district is currently advertising in hopes of quickly filling the JV coaching position.


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