A former Smith Academy athletic director has been arraigned on two counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14 by a mandated reporter, following an investigation that began while she worked at the Hatfield public school. Allison Slysz, 32, of Hatfield pleaded not guilty Thursday and was released on $1,000 cash bail with orders to stay away from and have no contact with the alleged victim.
The charges followed an investigation involving a female student while Slysz was employed at Smith Academy, according to westernmassnews.com. The same outlet reported that Slysz, who was previously described as a former western Massachusetts educator, faced the arraignment Thursday on both counts and entered a not guilty plea in court, as first detailed by Daily Voice.
The investigation began while Slysz was employed at the Hatfield public school for juniors and seniors, and she is no longer an employee there, per masslive.com. Judge Mary Beth Ogulewicz set her bail at $1,000 and ordered the no-contact and stay-away conditions tied to the alleged victim, the same report states. Slysz has a pretrial hearing scheduled for Dec. 9.
School Says It Reported Allegations in 2023
Smith Academy says it first became aware of the allegations in August 2023 and immediately placed the employee on administrative leave, according to a statement reported by wwlp.com. The district also said it notified law enforcement, the Department of Children and Families, and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and cooperated with the ensuing investigation, per the same statement.
Slysz had risen through several roles at Smith Academy before the allegations surfaced. According to the Gazette, she spent one year at Ludlow High School before returning to Smith Academy to teach biology and serve as an assistant coach for three sports. The hiring committee later selected her as one of two finalists for athletic director, a position she was hired into in late April, the Gazette reported.
Legal Representation and Possible Penalties
Slysz is represented by Jessie Adams, a Northampton attorney, while Assistant District Attorney Stephanie Jimenez is prosecuting the case, masslive.com reported. Under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 265, Section 13B, the offense Slysz is charged with can carry a sentence of up to 10 years in state prison or up to 2 1/2 years in a house of correction, according to the Massachusetts General Court.
The case remains in its early stages, with the next scheduled proceeding set for Dec. 9. No additional details about the timing of the alleged conduct or how the investigation first began have been released.
