Crime & Safety

Jailed Plymouth Teacher Out on Bail

Raymond Charles Schepansky was released late Friday after $100,000 bond was posted.

Raymond Charles Schepansky, the Plymouth High School teacher , is out on $100,000 bail.

On Friday, Schepansky, 52, appeared before Chief Justice Michael Gerou , but the preliminary exam had to be rescheduled to May 6 because Schepansky changed lawyers. He is currently represented by Plymouth attorney Richard Convertino.

During Friday's hearing, Judge Gerous declined to reduce Schepansky's bond from $100,000 cash to 10 percent of that. Bail was posted for him that evening -- Schepansky's friend David Haslam confrmed in a phone interview Sunday that one or more people put the money up, not the teacher. Schepansky was released around 10 p.m. Friday night.

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"He got home at about 11:30 in the evening," Haslam said. "There’s absolutely nothing to be nervous about."

Haslam said Schepansky is with friends and family "constantly," adding "there's a lot of rumors running around, so that's basically to assure anyone who's interested. He's totally safe. He’s had 16 days to think about this.”

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Haslam would not disclose where Schepansky is staying,  but said, "he’s calm, in the process of preparing for the court date on Friday. He’s very calm state right now."

Haslam would not say who posted the cash bond, except that it was not Schepansky's money. The teacher has received an outpouring of community support, including a Facebook page that has garnered more than 1,200 followers. Haslam published a book containing comments from the Facebook page and is selling copies to help Schepansky pay for legal fees. As of Friday, he said only a fraction of the necessary copies had been sold.

Schepansky was arrested April 14 after an alleged outburst at school on April 13, when school authorities told him to stay home the following day. Police had been alerted on April 13 and had started an investigation but couldn't locate the teacher. As a precaution, school officials canceled classes April 14.

According to Canton Police, officers stopped Schepansky's car while he was entering the Plymouth High School's parking lot. He was arrested without incident. Police recovered a 9-milimeter semi-automatic hangun in a holster from under a car seat and two ammunition clips, holding six rounds each.

Schepansky is charged with carrying a concealed weapon, which carries a possibility of five years in prison; possession of a weapon on school property (a weapon-free zone), possible five years in prison; and felony firearm, which has a possible two-year sentence.


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