(WWJ) - A former substitute teacher in Oakland County has been sentenced to 10 to 15 years in prison after he was convicted on six charges of criminal sexual conduct involving students between nine and 11 years old.
The sentencing for Timothy Daugherty, 61, came nearly two months after he was convicted by a jury.
The investigation started after several students at Spring Mills Elementary School in the Huron Valley School District accused Daugherty of touching them inappropriately. If he is released from prison, Daugherty will have to wear a tether for the rest of his life and register as a sex offender.
Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald issued a statement on the sentencing:
"The decision to give Timothy Daugherty a maximum sentence is appropriate and justified. As a teacher, he was in a position of trust. He abused that trust. I am grateful that the victims spoke up about this abuse. It's not an easy thing to do. Their bravery allowed us to hold Daugherty accountable and protect kids from this predator."
Daugherty and the school district are also facing civil lawsuits that were filed by several families involved in the investigation.
Attorney Ven Johnson, who filed the civil lawsuit, said Daugherty "had been in and around this school district and others for years, and there were comments made about how he hugged kids inappropriately, from our understanding, for years."
Along with Daughtery, Johnson said they're also suing the Huron Valley school district, alleging negligence on the part of administrators.
Johnson acknowledged that the issue of governmental immunity - meaning the idea that the district, as a governmental body, can't be sued - is a hurdle here.
"There's going to be a similar argument that we face, obviously, in the Oxford (high school shooting) case," Johnson said. "So, we try to do what we call plead around that. We'll attack governmental immunity again, just like we did in Oxford."
