IPS teacher facing molestation charge

INDIANAPOLIS - Police have arrested an IPS teacher for child molestation.

The John Marshall Community High School math teacher has been suspended with pay since the investigation began last month. Metro police said 33-year-old Lee Tibbetts molested a 13-year-old boy five times during March and April. But investigators believe the teen is not his only victim.

The 13-year-old told police Tibbetts molested him during school hours in classrooms at John Marshall.

Indianapolis Public Schools spokesperson Kim Young said, "We immediately called him in to interview Mr. Tibbetts and we suspended him."

Tibbetts was arrested at his home Friday morning.

Jeff White was the principal at the school when Tibbetts was teaching there.

"I had no proof that something was going on," said White. "I didn't have email correspondence between him and the kids. But I did have a wide array of parents coming in saying something wasn't right."

Tibbetts is also facing a child solicitation charge for allegedly having inappropriate contact and conversation with a 15-year-old student in 2008. The district said CPS investigated that allegation, but they couldn't find any substantiation for it -- so he stayed on as a teacher.

24-Hour News 8 has also learned Tibbetts offered the 15-year-old boy money to not tell anyone.

And police believe there may be more victims. In 2007, Tibbetts told police he was robbed. According to police reports, the suspects threatened Tibbetts saying, "He better not call the police or they would tell the police Tibbetts had an underage person in his apartment" during the robbery.

Tibbetts is being held in jail without bond.

IPS said the process to terminate Tibbetts has already started.