Cleared of criminal charge, fight not over for former Cobb school counselor

An ex-high school counselor and coach has been cleared of a sexual battery charge involving a former student. But Frank Robinson says the fight won't be over until he's allowed to return to the job he loves.

Even though he was cleared of the criminal charge in a Cobb County courtroom, Robinson must now fight to get his teaching certificate reinstated.

"It all started over false accusations and lies, and it's still not clear," Robinson told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in an interview Tuesday.

Robinson, 47, was in his seventh year working at Lassiter High School when a 17-year-old student accused him of inappropriately touching her in Dec. 2009.

According to the arrest warrant, Robinson fondled the teen without her consent at the east Cobb school. Robinson was arrested and charged with misdemeanor sexual battery and simple battery.

From the initial accusation, Robinson denied the charge. Robinson told the AJC he had told the girl he would have to inform her parents about her struggling grades, and that's when she told her parents the allegation.

That's also when Robinson said his nightmare started.

"They treated me like I was a pedophile," Robinson said. "They took my computers."

But they didn't take his word that he had not done what he was being accused of, said Robinson, who spent several years as a counselor and basketball coach in Atlanta Public Schools.

"It was like, ‘He's guilty. Let's get him to resign,' " Robinson said.

The Cobb County School Board voted to let Robinson stay employed, but transferred him to Kennesaw Mountain High School. At the same time, the school district handed Robinson's case to the Georgia Professional Standards Commission, which handles educator discipline issues.

"That is routine standard," Attorney Nina Gupta, who represents the school system, told the AJC.

Gupta said the school system turns even minor fractions over to the PSC for advisement. The PSC then conducted its own investigation, a spokesman said.

At a hearing for the case, the PSC voted to revoke Robinson's certificate, according to John Grant, assistant ethics division director for the organization. At a November hearing, an administrative law judge upheld the PSC's ruling, Grant said.

Before he could return to his Douglas County home, Robinson said he a member of the school district's human resources department called him and said, "Do not come back to work."

"Again, I'm just flabbergasted," Robinson said.

Without his certificate, Robinson said he had no choice but to resign.

"I'm innocent; why am I resigning?" Robinson asked himself. "There is no way in the world that I would resign from a job I enjoy."

Robinson's acquittal last week in Cobb County State Court may not change the PSC's decision, Grant said.

"It's two different standards of proof," Grant said.

It took a jury 45 minutes to acquit Robinson. Barry Hazen, one of Robinson's attorney, said jurors expressed anger that the charges of misdemeanor sexual battery and simple battery were even brought before them.

Now, Robinson says he has no choice but to appeal to have his certificate reinstated. Until then, he's forced to drive by the school where he previously worked to take his own two children to school. He's had to give up coaching recreation basketball, too.