Former Sandy Valley School District teacher Jason Neading has been granted early release from prison following his third judicial release hearing. Stark County Judge Chryssa Hartnett approved the release on Wednesday, Oct. 9, after previously denying two requests in 2022 and 2023.
Neading, 42, was sentenced to four years in prison in October 2021 after pleading guilty to gross sexual imposition, a third-degree felony. A rape charge was dismissed as part of a plea deal. Without early release, his original expected release date was April 14, 2025.
At Wednesday’s hearing, Judge Hartnett granted the former teacher early release, shaving approximately six months off his sentence. She did order Neading to spend 30 days in the county jail.
Neading’s previous bids for release were denied in May 2022 and April 2023.
Neading’s victim and her family have remained vocal in their opposition to his early release throughout the process. “This isn’t fair, and he should get the full term because four years shouldn’t be hard to fulfill compared to what he did to me,” said the victim. “I want to move on with my life, but I can’t do that knowing I didn’t get the full four years of justice that I deserve.”
The East Sparta resident, who will be required to register as a Tier II sex offender for 25 years, resigned from his position as a middle school social studies teacher in 2021 following the charges. His crime was unrelated to his role as a teacher, and the victim was not a student.
Community members, many of whom have expressed their concerns about his early release, had circulated a petition opposing his judicial release request. Despite this, Judge Hartnett’s decision now allows Neading to return home ahead of his scheduled release date.
