Tolland teacher arrested for past relationship with student

TOLLAND, CT (WFSB) - A teacher in Tolland faces charges for a past incident with a student, school officials confirmed.

Kris Coffey was arrested as a result of a state police investigation, according to Tolland Public Schools superintendent Walter Willett.

Troopers said they charged him with two counts of second-degree assault and one count of fourth-degree sexual assault.

Troopers said Coffey had an inapporioriate relationship with the student between 2014 and 2015.

Over the course of the investigation, they said a teenage victim was identified and located.

Coffey was then interviewed and confessed, troopers said.

He taught English at Tolland High School.

The investigation stemmed from an anonymous tip to the Connecticut Department of Children and Families back in February.

Through a redacted arrest warrant, Eyewitness News learned the victim did not have Coffey as a teacher but was a student at Tolland High School.

She gave a written statement to police saying: “One day I was in Kris’s room and he pulled his pants down and exposed his genitalia to me.”

The statement also said: “I would go into his class and we would kiss on the lips.”

During the investigation, Coffey confessed to troopers. He wrote: “I knew Victim #1 was seventeen years old at the time of these events.”

Once the investigation began in February of 2023, Coffey was placed on administrative leave and ultimately resigned from the district.

You can read the warrant below:

Willett informed the school community in a letter last week.

He said that the incident occurred “many years ago” and involved a student who attended Tolland High School at the time.

“The district was made aware of the investigation on Feb. 26, 2023, and the staff member involved was immediately placed on administrative leave and subsequently resigned from the Tolland Public Schools,” Willett said.

“The district was unaware of the incident at the time it was reported to have occurred and has cooperated immediately and fully from the moment it was informed of the investigation,” Willett wrote.

The superintendent confirmed that the charges do not involve any current students.

He said school counselors, psychologists, and social workers were made available to students, and the school offered programming to support student mental health, safety, and welfare.

“The Tolland Public Schools will continue to work with students and their families to offer support and services as student and family welfare is of the utmost importance,” Willett said.

Coffey remains behind bars as he did not post his $150,000 bond.

His next court date is May 12.

Copyright 2023 WFSB. All rights reserved.