A veteran math and science teacher is in trouble with the law for allegedly sending an email trying to smear the reputation of another teacher competing for a job with the Poland Local School District.

Charges of telecommunication harassment and obstructing official business were filed in Struthers Municipal Court against 33-year-old James Pluchinsky.

According to a complaint filed by Poland Township Police, Pluchinsky’s teaching contract was not being renewed by the Springfield Local Schools, and he was “desperate” to fill an opening for a teaching position in Poland.

The complaint says that when Pluchinsky learned that a teacher from Trumbull County School was a strong candidate for the Poland job, he sent an email purporting to be from the parents of a student in the Trumbull County school, claiming that Pluchinsky’s competitor lacked professionalism, engaged in gossip, and “many parents think he is creepy.”

According to a statement from Springfield Local Schools, Pluchinsky has been relieved of his duties in the classroom for the rest of the school year and will not be returning to the classroom "indefinitely."

"We want to assure our parents that this change in personnel was not due to any safety concerns and it will not disrupt instruction for the remainder of the year. Our district remains focused on maintaining order inside the classroom and we look forward to completing another successful school year," the statement reads.

Poland Superintendent Craig Hockenberry learned from officials at the Trumbull County district that the parents of the students in question didn’t send the email.

Hockenberry says he also received a letter in the mail, this time allegedly from a board member of the Trumbull County School, that said some of the exact same things that the email did. 

When Hockenberry reached out to that board member, they filed a police report saying they'd never sent such a letter and that they actually feel the opposite way about the Trumbull County candidate than the letter read. 

Township Police say that during a subsequent interview, Pluchinsky admitted to sending the email.

According to the police report, Pluchinsky said he, "made a very bad mistake and was sorry for it." 

Pluchinsky was booked into the Mahoning County Jail last week and released on bond.

He’s being arraigned in Struthers Municipal Court on Monday.

According to state records, Pluchinsky has been a teacher for ten years.