Ex-teacher sentenced to 1,090 days, but he'll likely be in jail only 188 days

LAFAYETTE, Ind. ― Former Southwestern Middle School teacher Peter Anders served most of his 1,090-day sentence on in-home detention while getting to enjoy his house, his family and his safety.

That ended Friday.

With credit for good behavior on pretrial in-home, he'll have 376 days to remaining to serve of the sentenced handed down Friday in Tippecanoe Superior 1. If he receives credit for good behavior while serving his time at the Tippecanoe County Jail, Anders will be released from jail in 188 days.

Anders admitted to two battery charges that accused him of poking two different girls in their sides near their breasts. He also admitted to a battery charge of swatting a girl on her buttocks with a shoe as he walked past her, according to the plea agreement, the charging information and the probable cause affidavit.

Anders told the court he had “profound remorse and deep regret for my actions.”

“My approach was too personal, overly informal and inappropriate," Anders said. "It was my responsibility to ensure that every student in my care felt safe, valued and heard. I failed in this. There is no justification for my behavior, and I take full responsibility for it.”

Several Southwestern Middle School girls reported Anders' inappropriate touching to school officials on Nov. 3, 2021.

More: Allegations against middle school PE teacher weren't investigated for 14 months

“As a teacher, Peter Anders was supposed to be someone my child ― and all the children at Southwestern Middle School ― could trust," a mother of one of the girls said Friday before Anderson's sentencing. "Someone they could look up to as a role model. Some who was supposed to keep them safe and teach them how to live a healthy lifestyle.

“Instead, he used his power as a teacher and authority figure to inappropriately touch multiple young girls in a rude, insolent and angry manner," the mother said.

“To add insult to injury, when my child immediately reported what Mr. Anders had done to her, the principal and school resource officer silenced her voice, never reporting her victimization to DCS or the school," the mother said.

Sue Scott, spokeswoman for Tippecanoe School Corp. took exception Friday with the mother's characterization.

"After receiving the student complaint, the (Tippecanoe School Corp.) immediately contacted law enforcement and the Department of Child Services," Scott said in a written statement last year and reiterated on Friday. "The TSC also began its own internal investigation, placed Anders on administrative leave and he later resigned during the investigation."

There were 11 months between the initial report of Anders' behavior and his being put on administrative leave, according to information provided last year by Scott. Another four months passed before Anders resigned. Anders, a former physical education teacher, was arrested in July 2023.

Last year, Tippecanoe County sheriff's Capt. John "Woody" Ricks said a report was taken in 2021, and he had not explanation why that report was never forwarded to the prosecutor's office.

During Friday's sentencing hearing, Deputy Prosecutor Elyse Madigan said the prosecutor filed charges in July 2023, as soon as it received the investigation.

Before pronouncing sentence, Judge Randy Williams asked Anders if his teaching license is revoked, and Anders replied he'll never teach again.

“You’re right. You won’t teach again," Williams said in response. "If you ever want to coach again … there will be background checks.

“This is going to follow you, as it should," Williams said. "But it’s following you because of something you did. It’s following these victims because of something you did to them. A conscious decision to do that which you did. Something that 13-, 14-year-old girls were subjected to.

“You were in a position of authority, care, custody and control,” Williams said. “You were to be trusted.

“Every day when those children got on a bus … parents were leaving their children with professionals who knew better – they believed – than to do something like this.”

Williams sentenced Anders to 1,090 days in jail, but with credit for good behavior, that comes out to 376 days.

If Anders behaves in jail, he'll receive one day good-time credit for each day he serves without incident. That means Anders can be free in about six months.

Reach Ron Wilkins at rwilkins@jconline.com. Follow on Twitter: @RonWilkins2.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Ex-teacher sentenced to 1,090 days, but he'll likely be in jail only 188 days