SLO County teachers accused of assaulting students still under investigation 3 months later

The San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office has yet decide whether two local educators will face criminal charges for allegedly assaulting students in a pair of cases now three months old.

Russ Griffith, an administrator at Mission Prep, and Chris Ferree, a teacher and coach at Atascadero High School, both were accused in unrelated incidents last November. The district attorney’s office said they were being considered together due to the similar circumstances.

“These cases are significant to the community and require careful consideration,” spokesman Eric Dobroth wrote in a Wednesday email statement.

In Griffith’s case, he was allegedly caught on cellphone camera appearing to place a student in a chokehold. In Ferree’s case, he allegedly grabbed a student by the front of his shirt, slammed him on the ground and thumped him on the chest.

Griffith’s case came with no charge recommendation, while Ferree’s case came with a recommended misdemeanor battery charge. Griffith has since been served a restraining order by his alleged victim.

Ferree’s case is now “in the final stages of review by management,” Dobroth wrote, while the Griffith case is “pending additional investigation.”

Dobroth wrote that while his office believed the Griffith investigation was complete, “on further discussion the filing team desired additional follow-up.”

There is no timeline for a decision in either case, he wrote.

This story was originally published February 14, 2018 at 4:49 PM with the headline "SLO County teachers accused of assaulting students still under investigation 3 months later."