Ohrt's Retirement Rescinded; CB West Choir Teacher Accused Of Assault Resigns

DOYLESTOWN, PA — The Central Bucks Board of School Directors voted unanimously Tuesday night to revoke Joseph Ohrt's previously-approved retirement. The board also voted to approve his resignation, effective March 17.

Board members voted on the issue without comment.

Ohrt, previously the choir director at Central Bucks High School West, was charged this year by the Bucks County District Attorney's Office with multiple felonies, after investigators heard stories of misconduct from several former students.

The former teacher had been on administrative leave since December, and the board had approved his planned retirement at the end of the year.

Then, Ohrt was arrested on wiretapping charges when a young man who'd been living with him turned his laptop in to investigators from the Central Bucks Regional Police Department. That laptop, the DA's office said, contained non-consensual footage of one of Ohrt's former students undressing.

The Central Bucks alum in question described his relationship with Ohrt as "complicated."

Two more former students came forward after Ohrt's arrest.

John, age 11 at the time, said he and his mother told a Linden Elementary School principal and guidance counselor that the choir teacher had touched him inappropriately in 1991. Then, after Ohrt was relocated to the high school, the teacher touched 13-year-old "Jack" inappropriately while the teenager was babysitting, according to the DA's office.

Their stories brought new charges: two counts each of indecent assault and corruption of minors.

"Ohrt has worked for 34 years at schools throughout Central Bucks, and he earned $110,963 in the 2019-20 school year, according to openpa.gov school teacher salary records," the Bucks County Courier Times reported.

The Courier Times said it is unclear whether Ohrt will be eligible for his pension, now that he has resigned and his retirement plans were revoked.

"Even with a conviction, employees are allowed to receive the contributions they paid into the pension fund, but without interest," the newspaper said. "But employee contributions can be required to pay fines and restitution associated with the criminal conviction, under the law."

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