A St. Francis School teacher and a Racine baseball coach has been arrested in Florida. He faces charges of molestation for an incident at a Disney World Resort.
Nicholas Groth is known to his neighborhood for baseball. They say they would often see him putting baseball equipment in his car before he went to Rally Baseball in Racine.
"He was very dedicated to being a baseball coach," says Jamie Woods, neighbor.
Police say Groth was in Orlando for a youth baseball tournament when he acted inappropriately in a Disney Resort Pool. He allegedly touched at least three children on their buttocks, who he did not know, while they were swimming with him. News that shocked his neighbors.
"That upset me because my daughter, we let her go on the patio by herself," says Heather Carlson, neighbor.
Also worrisome to Michele Obermann. He had been her daughter's second grade teacher at Willow Glen Elementary. She says she couldn't put her finger on it, but she brought up her worry to another teacher.
"Just watch out for him because there is something off with him," says Obermann.
Obermann says he seemed dedicated to the students but also made strange comments.
"He would tell the kids, you know they're second graders and he would tell the kids that he didn't have a girlfriend because he would be staying late," says Obermann.
Groth denied any inappropriate touching and in the report even told the father of one of the children he would never do that because he was a coach.
Groth is being held in Florida. St. Francis School District Superintendent Blake A. Peuse sent TODAY'S TMJ4 the following statement:
"This is the first we have heard of this situation. We take these allegations very seriously and will immediately begin looking into the matter. We will not have any further comment at this time."
