Norwich — Norwich Free Academy Campus Safety Director Kevin Rodino, who faces several criminal charges connected to the school’s response to allegations that a former coach had engaged in sexual relations with two students, has retired, effective June 30, school officials said.

Rodino, a retired state trooper, led NFA’s initial investigation in April 2017 into allegations that then-Assistant Coach Anthony Facchini had engaged in sexual relations with a student. Rodino and NFA administrators dismissed the case and closed the investigation within two days without reporting it to the state Department of Children and Families, after both Facchini and the student denied the allegations.

In June 2018, a different coach reported an allegation regarding Facchini’s relations with a second student to DCF and Norwich police, launching the investigation into NFA’s response to the first case.

In his June 13 letter of retirement, which The Day obtained in response to a Freedom of Information Act request, Rodino informed Head of School David Klein that he was retiring effective June 30. Rodino, who has been on paid administrative leave since Jan. 23 — a month before his Feb. 25 arrest by Norwich police — offered to assist during the transition “in order to facilitate the seamless passing of my responsibilities to my successor.”

Under the terms of his administrative leave, Rodino was not allowed on school grounds except to be available to assist Klein with his internal investigation into the school’s response.

“I want to thank you for your last 14 years of service to the Academy and wish you the very best in the next chapter of your life,” Klein wrote in a certified letter dated June 25. Klein sent a copy of his letter to NFA attorney Kyle McClain.

Rodino, 61, of Preston, was charged Feb. 25 with failure to report suspected child abuse, tampering with evidence, issuing a false statement and interfering with a police officer. He has applied for accelerated rehabilitation and will learn at his next court appearance July 19 whether he qualifies for the program that would clear his record if he follows conditions set by the court.

Facchini was charged Sept. 12 with two counts of second-degree sexual assault involving alleged sexual relationships with two students in 2017 and 2018. Facchini pleaded not guilty and is next due in New London Superior Court on Aug. 1.

According to arrest warrants for Facchini and Rodino and search warrants obtained by Norwich police for NFA computers, emails and investigation documents, top NFA officials learned of the first allegations in April 2017, when Curriculum Director Denise Grant called Rodino after she learned of the allegation. Rodino’s investigation report called Grant’s call anonymous, but Grant told police Rodino knew who she was and called her back on her desk phone and that she never asked to be anonymous.

Rodino met with Klein, Director of Student Affairs John Iovino and then-Athletic Director Eric Swallow to discuss the allegation.

School officials quickly closed the investigation after both Facchini and the student denied they were in a sexual relationship. In the arrest warrant affidavit, Facchini allegedly admitted to the relationships and told police on the eve of his meeting with Swallow that he asked the student victim to delete all cellphone communications between the two and to deny the relationship, if questioned.

According to police, Rodino’s initial investigation report revealed school officials did not intend to report the allegations to police or to DCF — as required by state law for all school personnel — even if Facchini had admitted to the relationship.

“Rodino stated in the initial report that it was decided, after advising Iovino, Klein and Athletic Director Eric Swallow, that Swallow would meet with Facchini regarding this matter to gain additional information,” police wrote in the search warrant affidavit. “Rodino also noted that if the allegations were found to be true, Facchini would be advised the social interaction should stop immediately.”

The warrants also stated that when police searched Rodino's office on Sept. 12, they found in a closet a green hard-backed notebook similar to the one Rodino had referred to and read from during a June 11 interview. The notebook had at least 80 pages cut out. Rodino at the time told police he never saw the notebook before and never used one like it.

In an Aug. 21 interview with police, Rodino said the decision not to contact DCF after the initial investigation "was not made intentionally to hide information," police wrote in the warrant. "He stated the decision was made collectively by the staff members involved in the investigation."

Klein told police he relied on Rodino's expertise as a former police officer to take the lead in the NFA investigation and he, too, said the initial call was from an anonymous woman. The NFA Board of Trustees cleared Klein of any wrongdoing in the school’s April 2017 response to the allegations.

Since Rodino has been on paid leave, Assistant Campus Safety Director Stephany Bakoulis, a former Norwich police officer, has been serving as acting campus safety director.

Bakoulis also was involved in the school’s initial investigation into Facchini’s alleged sexual relations with the first student in April 2017. Bakoulis allegedly told police during an interview: “We gave him (Facchini) a smack in the ass and told him to knock it off.”

NFA spokesman Geoff Serra said Monday the position of director of campus safety will be “advertised as soon as possible.”

c.bessette@theday.com