WARREN — A former athletic coach at Warren G. Harding High School was arraigned Monday in Warren Municipal Court on charges of sexual battery and unlawful sexual contact with a minor.
Warren police investigating allegations of an inappropriate relationship between a 16-year-old female student and a coach arrested Talayshah Safari Harris, 22, on Monday afternoon, according to Trumbull County jail records.
Court records show Harris, of Riverview Street NW, pleaded not guilty to the charges before Municipal Judge Terry Ivanchak who scheduled a preliminary hearing in the case on April 15. Ivanchak set bond at $15,000 and set a condition of the bond that she have no contact with the alleged victim.
A court record shows an individual posted 10 percent of the defendant’s bond at the jail, and Harris was released at 6:49 p.m. Monday.
According to a police report filed March 15, a Warren police officer was made aware of an incident between a student and a coach that occurred March 11 at the high school. The report states that a sexual battery complaint was already initiated with city Detective Nick Carney, who filed the charges on Friday.
In response to a media inquiry last week, Warren Schools Superintendent Steve Chiaro said at the time the allegation of the inappropriate relationship was made during the prior 2020-21 school year. The individual named in the complaint is not currently employed by the district and had served under a supplemental athletic coaching contract, Chiaro said.
Chiaro said once the school district was alerted to the complaint, it was immediately reported to police consistent with the district’s protocols and procedures regarding allegations of sexual abuse.
Chiaro said Tuesday he has not received any update on the matter from local law enforcement and did not want to make any statement at the time without any information. He did not say what sport Harris coached.