Norwich — The last remaining Norwich Free Academy staff person placed on paid leave in January, in connection with the school’s investigation into allegations that a former coach was engaged in sexual relations with a student, has been reinstated to a new position after a 10-day unpaid suspension.

Denise Grant, the former NFA director of curriculum and instruction, returned to campus Sept. 3 as the director of the new College and Career Resource Center, a position not of her choosing.

Her attorney, Magdalena B. Wiktor, said in a statement Wednesday that Grant plans to file a lawsuit alleging that the disciplinary action is in retaliation for statements Grant made to police after a second allegation surfaced that former coach Anthony Facchini was having sexual relations with a student.

“Denise Grant has been, and continues to be, retaliated against for telling the truth in statements to the Norwich Police,” Wiktor said in an email statement Wednesday. “We are preparing a lawsuit and look forward to vindicating her rights, including her right to a workplace free from illegal retaliation. While Denise is disappointed to have been moved from a position she has served in admirably for the past ten years, she is happy to be back at a place she loves with a faculty and staff who do an amazing job for students every day.”

NFA spokesman Geoff Serra said in an email statement Wednesday that NFA does not comment on “individual personnel matters” and would have no comment on Grant’s situation “other than to categorically deny the allegations made by Attorney Wiktor.”

Grant was one of three NFA staff members placed on paid leave in January by Head of School David Klein pending an internal investigation into the school’s response to allegations that first surfaced in April 2017 that Facchini was having sexual relations with a student. Then-Campus Safety Director Kevin Rodino dismissed the allegations without reporting them to the state Department of Children and Families after the student and Facchini denied the claims.

Police charged Facchini on Sept. 12, 2018, with two counts of second-degree sexual assault.

According to police search warrants and arrest warrants in the 2018 criminal investigation, the first allegations surfaced in April 2017, when Grant first heard of the allegation on social media and asked physical education teacher Susan Hopkins-Terrell about it. Grant then reported the allegation to Rodino.

Police wrote that Rodino claimed the allegation was from an anonymous source, which Grant denied, saying Rodino knew it was her and returned her call on her NFA desk phone.

Rodino met with Klein, Director of Student Affairs John Iovino and then-Athletic Director Eric Swallow to discuss the allegation. Swallow interviewed Facchini, and a guidance counselor interviewed the female student. Both denied the allegations. Rodino closed the case as unsubstantiated.

In June 2018, another NFA coach heard of an alleged relationship between Facchini and a second NFA student and reported it to DCF, which launched the Norwich police investigation.

The NFA board of trustees hired an outside attorney to conduct an independent investigation into the school’s response to the allegations. After receiving the investigator’s report, the board in January 2019 cleared Klein of wrongdoing and authorized him to take any administrative action he deemed appropriate.

A week later, Klein placed Rodino, Grant and Hopkins-Terrell on paid leave. Rodino was charged by Norwich police in February 2019 with failure to report suspected child abuse, tampering with evidence, interfering with police and issuing a false statement. He submitted his retirement letter to NFA on June 30. He is scheduled to appear in Norwich Superior Court on Friday to hear whether he is eligible for Accelerated Rehabilitation, which would erase his criminal record if he follows court-set conditions.

Swallow had resigned on Sept. 10, 2018 — two days before Facchini’s arrest.

In arrest and search warrant applications, police wrote that Grant stated it was “very odd” that Rodino would claim that she wanted to be anonymous. Grant told police she discussed the issue with Hopkins-Terrell again and said Hopkins-Terrell said she felt as if she was “brushed aside” by Swallow when she asked him about the investigation. “Grant felt Rodino had done the same to her,” the warrant stated.

In the warrant seeking Rodino’s arrest, police wrote: "Grant stated she felt like the accused (Rodino) was being dismissive. Grant stated she got the impression that the accused did not complete a thorough investigation.”

Hopkins-Terrell told The Day she was reinstated to her position prior to the start of the school year after she agreed to a three-day unpaid suspension.

c.bessette@theday.com