Old Lyme — State police and Resident State Trooper Greg Hunter confirmed Friday that an investigation involving a male teacher at Lyme-Old Lyme High School for a "suspicious incident" has concluded and that "no wrongdoing" or any "criminal aspect" was found.

The investigation began on Aug. 28, state police said, and was conducted by a "constable," or a police officer with Old Lyme police. The Day first reported on the investigation Sept. 12.

“Nothing happened. It’s over. It was a rumor" that was not corroborated, Hunter said Friday in an interview with The Day. “He didn’t do anything wrong.”

Sources told The Day last month that a male high school teacher had been under investigation for allegedly engaging in an inappropriate relationship with a former student while she was a student.

Superintendent Ian Neviaser confirmed through released records Wednesday that a male teacher had been placed on paid administrative leave Sept. 4 while the school district investigated a “rumor” involving the teacher’s “behavior with students.”

Hunter confirmed Friday that the teacher named in the letter released by Neviaser was the same teacher who had been under investigation by police.

State police had told The Day on Sept. 12 that the teacher was back at the school teaching that day.

Both Hunter and state police maintained Friday that the investigation was classified as a “suspicious incident” and was never classified as an "incident of sexual misconduct.”

Hunter said concerns had been raised about the teacher allegedly engaging in an inappropriate relationship with a student who had been in high school two years ago “when she was 17” through rumors being spread. He said that once word of the rumor reached the school’s administration, “they immediately contacted police.”

The school district has not yet released requested information to The Day detailing if and how a complaint about the teacher was made to the district and how the district documented it, as well as other requested information detailing the district's investigation and its findings.

Neither Hunter nor state police could confirm the exact date the investigation was closed, but state police said Friday that the investigation had gone through a final review by the district commander to ensure that it had been thoroughly investigated before it was closed.

Hunter said that police did their “due diligence” investigating the situation and that no evidence of any wrongdoing was found.

As part of the investigation, Hunter said police interviewed the former student at her university and searched her cellphone for evidence. He said the phone they searched was the same phone the former student had used while she was in high school two years ago. He could not identify the exact model of the phone.

“We talked to the girl, and she gave us her phone to be researched,” Hunter said. “We have a way of looking at people’s phones. If they delete things, we can still find it.”

Hunter said the former student also gave an official statement to police denying any wrongdoing by the teacher. Hunter also said that no other complaints about the teacher were brought forward to police during the investigation.

m.biekert@theday.com