HILLIARD, Ohio — A former Hilliard Darby High School teacher pleaded not guilty in court on Tuesday to two counts of sexual battery involving a former student.
According to Franklin County court documents, 48-year-old Brian Tonti and the victim were involved in a sexual relationship during the 2010-11 school year.
Nicole Kiefer reported the alleged assault to investigators in December 2022.
“It's validating it, you know? It gave me a little bit more stride to continue on with this healing journey,” Kiefer said. “I have a lifetime of trauma that I'm working through and that I will get through. I think a message, the message that I'm trying to get across to homes and schools and parents and teachers is priceless.”
Kiefer said the tourney to justice has not been easy. Since sharing her story earlier this year, she said the backlash at times has become unbearable.
“Everyone scared me back into who I was when I was 17. And that is such a toxic environment that we are putting victims in,” Kiefer said. “I had to kind of rebuild that courage because so many people behind their screens decided to tell me to be quiet. And to suck it up, and that my motives were for financial reasons, which is completely untrue. I think that's a message that needs to be given.”
Nevertheless, she stands strong for other survivors.
“On the other end, I'm having more people come forward and be like, 'This happened to me 15 years ago, 20 years ago, and I never said anything.' And, you know, my story gave them inner strength,” Kiefer said.
Hilliard City Schools released the following statement to 10TV on Tuesday:
"We are deeply sorry that one of our graduates has been dealing with this, and we appreciate the courage it takes for her to come forward. We will continue to fully cooperate with the authorities.
At Hilliard City Schools, protecting students and creating a safe learning environment is our highest priority. All staff complete regular training to reinforce policy, procedure, and our legal requirements as mandatory reporters of suspected child abuse, sexual and otherwise.
We strive for a supporting environment in our schools where students feel empowered to report any and all concerns of inappropriate behavior. Whenever a student or staff member makes a credible accusation about any kind of inappropriate behavior, we take that seriously and we act immediately — that includes conducting a thorough investigation for all such reports and involving other local authorities as needed or required."