Ohio teacher sentenced to 4 years

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MASON, Ohio, Oct. 28 (UPI) -- An Ohio teacher, convicted of having sex with students, was sentenced to four years in prison after a judge rejected her insanity plea.

Warren County Judge Robert Peeler found Stacy Schuler, a former health and physical education teacher at Mason High School, guilty on 16 counts of sexual battery for having sex with five students and three counts of providing minors with alcohol, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported. The decision came Thursday after a four-day bench trial.

Schuler, 33, was sentenced to four years in prison.

Prosecutors say Schuler had sex with five students on multiple occasions from August through December 2010 at her home.

All five teens, who all averaged 17 years of age at the time, testified Shuler was intoxicated at the time of the incidents and initiated much of the contact.

Defense attorney Charlie H. Rittgers argued the woman suffered from bipolar disorder and the disorder, in combination with alcohol and prescription Zoloft, prevented her from fully comprehending the consequences of her actions.

"She got drunk and made some really poor choices. Does that mean she's insane? No," Assistant Warren County Prosecutor Teresa Hiett said. "She was the adult. She was the teacher. She had the trust. It's the relationship between the defendant and the victims that makes this a crime."