The girls’ track coach at Westbrook High School was charged Monday with sexually assaulting a 17-year-old female student.
Timothy Even, 27, and the Westbrook student cooperated with investigators, and he was arrested on three counts of gross sexual assault after being interviewed by police Monday morning, said Westbrook police Capt. Sean Lally. Even will be arraigned Wednesday, police said.
Letter to Westbrook High families
The investigation began Sunday after someone reported the alleged relationship out of concern for the girl, Lally said. The relationship was apparently consensual and began in April, he said.
Lally declined to say whether Even denied the allegations in his interview Monday.
“I’m not going to get into the specifics, but he was truthful,” Lally said. “Preliminary results are that (the relationship) was consensual. But we don’t know if there was any compulsion.”
The age of consent is 16 in Maine, but Even was charged under the portion of state law that prohibits adults who work in schools from having sexual relationships with students at the school where they work and over whom they have disciplinary authority. If he is convicted, Even could face five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. He is being held without bail, Cumberland County Jail officials said.
Even declined a Press Herald request for an interview after he was booked into the jail in Portland.
Westbrook Superintendent Peter Lancia said he was notified of the investigation Monday about 9:30 a.m. and immediately placed Even on paid administrative leave, which is standard procedure.
According to the school’s athletic department website, Even is the head coach for girls’ cross country and outdoor track, and coached girls’ and boys’ indoor track during the winter. He also is a school adviser for the Westbrook Class of 2018.
The Westbrook High staff directory listed him as one of nine special services ed techs, a position he has held for three years. He has been a coach for four years, Lancia said.
“We’re working really hard to support our students,” Lancia said. “This is very upsetting to everybody – to adults, to teachers, to administrators, to the entire community, but most importantly, our students. They are the most important people that we need to take care of during this situation.”
Lancia declined to say how Even met the student or whether the student was under Even’s supervision as an ed tech or coach. He said the school department is conducting an internal investigation of the relationship.
“I’m just sick about this,” Lancia said. “This is never supposed to happen.”
The school department notified school community members via a letter posted to the school department’s website Monday afternoon, and said staff members are offering to meet with students or parents who have concerns. The Westbrook athletic director will meet with Even’s team members, Lancia said.
The letter, signed by Lancia and Westbrook High Principal Kelli Devereaux, omitted that Even’s alleged victim is a student.
“The safety and security of our students is our most important priority,” the letter said. “At this time our student service team has been meeting with our students to offer support and an opportunity to process this information.”
Even, of Stoneham, began coaching at Westbrook High in 2013. Before 2013, he was an assistant cross country and track coach at Fryeburg Academy.
A person who answered the phone at a number that appeared to be for Even’s family in Stoneham declined to talk.
“I don’t want to speak about this, thank you,” the woman said before hanging up.
Even also has been involved in Camp Susan Curtis, a nonprofit summer camp for economically disadvantaged youth.
Melissa L. Cilley, executive director of the Susan L. Curtis Charitable Foundation, said Even was a seasonal employee who started work at the camp in 2004 as a dishwasher and worked his way up to become assistant director of the 10-week summer program.
Cilley said that Even, like all the camp’s staff, shared a commitment to helping disadvantaged Maine youth.
Even graduated from Fryeburg Academy. His profile on the Camp Susan Curtis website and his Facebook page indicate he earned a bachelor’s degree in music from the University of Southern Maine, but the USM registrar said Even has not been awarded a degree, although he has enough credit hours to be considered a senior. He was last enrolled in a class at USM in December 2014.
It was not immediately clear whether Even told the school department that he had a degree or was in the process of earning it. Lancia said Monday he did not know what Even’s degrees were. Ed techs are not required to have a bachelor’s degree.
Public records indicate Even has no prior criminal record in Maine.
Staff Writer Glenn Jordan contributed to this report.
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