District Attorney to Charge Former Waterville High School Principal

Kennebec County District Attorney Maeghan Maloney announced Thursday that she will charge former Waterville High School Principal Don Reiter with a misdemeanor.

Reiter had been on administrative leave since September after a student accused him of asking her for sex. He's denied the charges but, on Monday, the School Committee voted almost unanimously for his dismissal.

Today, Maloney announced that she will charge Reiter with Oppression of Office.The Class E misdemeanor refers to a public official misusing their office. While it can carry a sentence of up to 6 months, Maloney says the charge usually results in a fine. She says the charge is perfect because people trust educators and Reiter allegedly abused that trust. A charge of gross sexual assault may have been appropriate if the student had been under the age of 18.

The School Committee said their decision to dismiss Reiter was based solely on the student from Waterville High School. However, just before the vote, Waterville Police revealed similar complaints from former students in New Hampshire.

Reiter has 30 days from the date of the dismissal to appeal the decision.