Jury trial set in Xenia teacher rape case in Logan County

A Clark County resident and Xenia Local Schools teacher accused of sex crimes is out of jail on his own recognizance, according to court records.

Brandon M. Murray, 35, of Bethel Twp., was arraigned in Logan County Common Pleas Court Monday on two counts of rape, one count of sexual battery and two counts of gross sexual imposition, according to online Logan County court records.

Earlier charges against Murray were amended. He originally faced one count of rape, three counts of gross sexual imposition, and one count of sexual battery in Logan County Common Pleas Court.

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He was placed on indefinite leave by the school district previously.

A status hearing is set for May 10, according to court records. A pretrial conference is set for May 29 and a two-day trial is set to start on June 28, the records say.

He is accused of sexually assaulting a 25-year-old woman — an acquaintance of Murray and his wife — after a night of drinking in June 2017 at Froggy’s swim-up bar at Indian Lake.

In March, the case against Murray ended in a mistrial after a jury could not reach a verdict.

Murray’s accuser was part of a group that traveled to Logan County and had all been drinking at Froggy’s, 11065 County Road 293 in Lakeview. At the end of the night, the woman was “extremely intoxicated” and was sitting in a vehicle with Murray and his wife waiting for the rest of the group and the designated driver, police said.

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Murray’s wife passed out, and police say the alleged crime occurred during a 10-minute period of time before the group’s return to the vehicle.

The woman reported the incident to authorities a little more than a month later. Murray disputed the allegations and told investigators his interaction with the woman was consensual, according to court documents.

Murray is a teacher at the Miami Valley Juvenile Rehabilitation Center in Xenia, employed by Xenia Community Schools. Superintendent Gabriel Lofton said Murray was placed on an indefinite leave of absence on Oct. 19.

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