ROSSFORD — The Rossford High School assistant principal and athletic director has been placed on
paid-administrative leave pending an investigation into an allegation of inappropriate activity.
Superintendent Dan Creps, in a statement on Tuesday, said that Patrick Murtha has been placed on leave.

At this time, no further comment can be made by the district on this personnel matter, Creps said.
Murtha, who is 47, reportedly left a similar job in July 2004 for allegedly making inappropriate,
sexually-oriented comments in the presence of students, according to the Athens News.
Murtha was athletic director for Athens High School and resigned in August 2003. The resignation was
effective the next July.
According to the Athens News, Murtha was reprimanded in June 2003 after a female Ohio University graduate
student, who was working under his supervision as an athletic trainee, filed a sexual harassment
complaint against him based on repeated and graphic sexual remarks he allegedly made to her.
Murtha wrote a letter of apology to the grad student and the incident was closed. His contract was
renewed for three years in March 2003.
However, a group of about 30 district parents, who allege that Murtha has a long history of making
inappropriate remarks in the presence of students, sent a critical letter to Athens school board
members. They indicated that they would like to see Murtha removed from his job, or have him kept under
strict supervision.
Murtha began his career in education as a high school social studies teacher. He earned his bachelor’s
degree from Marshall University, and his master’s degree in administration from Ashland University.
Murtha has been with Rossford for more than 10 years.