CHARDON, Ohio — Devin Hernandez, an associate athletic director at Notre Dame Cathedral Latin High School, is facing charges related to alleged sexual conduct with a minor while he was a coach at Hawken School.

Chardon Municipal Court documents show that Hernandez is accused of engaging in sexual conduct with a 17-year-old student at Hawken in 2023 between March 1 and May 31 when he was employed as the school’s assistant strength and conditioning coach.

Hernandez has been charged with one count of sexual battery, a third degree felony. According to Geauga County Prosecutor James Flaiz, the charge carries a maximum potential sentence of five years in prison and mandatory reporting as a Tier III sex offender.

Flaiz says the allegations do not involve any students at NDCL, where Hernandez has worked as associate athletic director for sports performance since September of 2023.

Hernandez was arrested on Monday and made his first appearance in court on Tuesday. He was issued a $20,000 bond and will have an arraignment on April 8. Flaiz says additional charges could be brought once the case is presented to a grand jury.

After Hernandez was arrested on Monday, NDCL President Dr. Jacqueline Hoynes sent the following note: 

Dear Notre Dame Schools Community,

We want to inform you of an incident that occurred at NDCL today. At the end of the workday, local law enforcement arrested one of our employees, and a criminal investigation is underway.

The employee was immediately placed on administrative leave and will not be permitted on our campus.

We want to clarify that none of the allegations involve any students, staff, or families from Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin. We understand that you may be concerned, but at this time, that is all the available information.

Please get in touch with the Geauga County Prosecutor’s Office with any questions.

On Tuesday, D. Scott Looney, the head of school at Hawken, sent the below message to the school community:

We write to let you know that last night, Monday, March 31, 2025, Hawken School was notified by law enforcement that a former Upper School employee, Devin Hernandez, who worked for Hawken from July 7, 2021 to August 11, 2023, was arrested earlier in the day because of alleged inappropriate conduct with a former high school student. We have been informed that some of the alleged inappropriate conduct occurred during his employment at Hawken.

Like everyone working at our school, Mr. Hernandez underwent a thorough background and reference check, and these background checks did not reveal any issues. The charges against Mr. Hernandez are as shocking as they are concerning.

The safety, well-being, and trust of our school community are of the utmost importance. We are actively addressing this matter and taking all necessary measures to support the investigation. For those who may need additional support, our school psychologists will be available to assist anyone who wishes to process this information. If you have any information related to this matter, we encourage you to contact the Geauga County Prosecutor’s Office.

As we learn more about this situation, we will share additional information as we are able.