TRAVERSE CITY —
Fred Muller and family had a hard time dealing with the news.
The Mullers are close with Lisa Gaye Placek and her family, and Placek coached Muller's daughter, 2010 Traverse City West Senior High School graduate Gaby Muller, in volleyball.
Now Placek, 45, a well-liked coach and teacher, faces a felony count of criminal sexual conduct after police said she had oral sex with a West sophomore boy. The charge left Fred Muller "100 percent surprised."
"Our first reaction was, 'This can't be,'" he said. "If you lined up 20 people in a room, and Lisa was one of them, you'd say, 'Certainly not her.'"
District Judge Thomas J. Phillips on Monday arraigned Placek on a single count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct. He denied bond, and she remains in the Leelanau County Jail pending a Feb. 10 preliminary examination.
Placek worked for Traverse City Area Public Schools as a volleyball coach since 1997 and as a teacher since 1999. She most recently served as varsity volleyball coach at West, where she also taught French and language arts. She was placed on leave on Jan. 20 and resigned from the district Jan. 24, Superintendent Steve Cousins said.
Police believe Placek had oral sex with a male student, 15, in her vehicle in Elmwood Township on Dec. 31, court documents show. Authorities won't provide details about what led to the encounter, or if Placek and the student had previous contact.
Cousins said the allegations leave a "deep wound."
"This is probably one of the most injurious experiences you can have as an educator," he said. "These allegations are just shocking, and for anyone who is a teacher or a coach, it just makes you sick."
The district received an anonymous tip late Jan. 19 and contacted police the next day. Placek and the student live in Grand Traverse County, but the Leelanau County Sheriff's Department handled the case because authorities said the incident occurred in Leelanau County.
Leelanau County Prosecutor Joe Hubbell said the first-degree charge is based on a combination of the reported sexual act, the victim's age and the teacher-student relationship. He wouldn't provide additional details.
Leelanau Sheriff Mike Oltersdorf said he was out of the office for much of the investigation and didn't know all of the details, but said the incident didn't appear to be a "forced physical act."
Several Traverse City West students on Monday said teachers didn't discuss the situation during school, but classmates talked about the topic.
Junior Nikki Hollis said she learned information from other people, not teachers who "don't want" students to talk about it.
"It's like a public thing. It affects everyone," she said.
Hollis said Placek taught one of her language arts classes during this school year's first trimester.
"That's why it's so surprising," Hollis said of the allegations.
Region
Related Photos
-
Placek
-
Lisa Gaye Placek Record-Eagle file photo/Jan-Michael Stump
Ex-teacher, coach faces CSC charge
-
-
Possible millage for TC schools
Traverse City Area Public Schools could ask voters this fall for millions to upgrade several aging schools and facilities.
Continued ... -
Benzie Sheriff candidate reprimanded at work
A candidate for Benzie County sheriff received multiple reprimands for inappropriate behavior at his high school job, but contends he’s still the best man for the law enforcement post.
Continued ... -
Spelling bee competitor goes out with a bang
Jack Pasche misspelled “idiosyncratically,” but he certainly knew how to act it out.
Continued ... -
Police arrest two in separate assaults
The Traverse City Police Department responded Sunday to a reported assault at a home on Leeward Court. A 38-year-old man told officers that his girlfriend, 39, punched him in the eye. He suffered a facial fracture requiring additional treatment.
Continued ... -
Boaters' safety class to be held
The class will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. June 2 at the Grand Traverse County Civic Center. To register, call the department's marine division at (231) 922-2112.
Continued ... -
Audit preparations for TCL&P begin
Consultants have until mid-June to submit plans for how they would conduct a Traverse City Light & Power audit.
Continued ... -
Man charged with more crimes
James Anthony Simpson, 26, of Traverse City, is charged with third-degree home invasion, larceny in a building and malicious destruction of a building after a May 15 incident at a Garfield Township residence.
Continued ... - Wednesday, May 30, 2012
-
Housing project 'moving forward'
Traverse City commissioners recently approved what officials expect to be the last change in long-running negotiations to sell city property near the former railroad depot off Eighth Street to two affordable housing agencies.
Continued ... -
Septic tank tax appears inevitable
A $30 to $40 yearly tax assessment on properties with septic tanks in Grand Traverse County and Leelanau's Elmwood Township appears inevitable.
Continued ... -
DEQ seeks public input on Brown Bridge Dam removal
The state Department of Environmental Quality seeks public comment on Traverse City's request for a permit to remove Brown Bridge Dam and restore three miles of Boardman River channel.
Continued ... -
Man charged in Crystal Lake incident
A downstate man who attempted to evade authorities by jumping into Crystal Lake spent his Memorial Day weekend in jail.
Continued ... -
Traverse City to expand TC Saves energy program
The city is expanding a program designed to help residents save on their energy bills.
Continued ... -
Elk Lake boat launch closed for repairs
The Elk Lake boat launch located three miles south of Kewadin is temporarily closed for repairs.
Continued ... -
Suspect arrested in parking meter thefts
Police arrested a man they said stole parking meters in Traverse City.
Continued ... -
TC Central, West on another 'best' list
Two Traverse City high schools made another national list of the best in the country.
Continued ... -
Traverse City man faces theft charge
A Traverse City man faces a criminal charge after police believe he stole cash and other items from a friend's parents.
Continued ... - Tuesday, May 29, 2012
-
Video: 'Taps' at Memorial Day service at Oakwood Cemetery
An excerpt of horn player Don Sattler and drummer David Sattler performing "Taps" at the conclusion of the Memorial Day service at Traverse City's Oakwood Cemetery on Monday, May. 28, 2012.
Continued ... -
Memorial Day: Traverse City honors heroes
A Memorial Day ceremony included a recitation of the Gettysburg Address, a rifle salute, the playing of "Taps" and a speech from Grand Traverse County Board of Commissioners Chairman Larry Inman.
Continued ... -
Get to work without using your car
- Monday, May 28, 2012
-
City to discontinue spring cleanup
City crews will stop collecting residents' clutter each spring.
Continued ... -
Terry Wooten: WWII soldier's story told in poems
Jack Miller, a survivor of the Bataan Death March and a POW during World War II, won't be in any Memorial Day parades today.
Continued ... -
Remembering the fallen veterans
Below is a list of military veterans from the region who died during the past year (May 28, 2011, through May 25, 2012).
Continued ... -
Memorial Day events
A roundup of Memorial Day-related events in northern Michigan:
Continued ... - Sunday, May 27, 2012
-
Travel season begins
Tourism analysts at Michigan State University project a 3 percent increase in Michigan travel volume this year.
Continued ... -
Restored cemetery to be honored on Memorial Day
The "Old Ones" buried in the once-overgrown and abandoned Onominese Indian Cemetery near Northport will be honored in a Memorial Day service and traditional re-dedication ceremony.
Continued ...
-
