An East Clinton sixth-grade teacher was arrested Tuesday on a charge of sexual battery. The alleged victim was 11 at the time and an East Clinton student.

Middle school language arts teacher Robin Pickering has taught in the East Clinton school district for 12 years, plus 10 more years elsewhere.

On Wednesday morning by video from the county jail, Pickering pleaded not guilty in her arraignment hearing. She posted bond Wednesday afternoon and was released from custody. One condition of her bond, as ordered by Clinton County Common Pleas Court Magistrate Helen Rowlands, is to have no contact with the alleged victim or any minor outside of Pickering’s immediate family.

On Monday, a Clinton County grand jury handed up an indictment charging Pickering with sexual battery, a felony of the second degree. The charge is a second-degree felony because of the age of the alleged victim at the time, said Clinton County Sheriff’s Office Chief Detective Brian Edwards.

The allegations point back to two school years ago, for the time period from Christmas Day 2006 through April 8, 2007, according to indictment paperwork filed with the clerk of courts.

There is “no evidence at all” any of the alleged sexual conduct took place on school property, Edwards said Wednesday.

Pickering was served the indictment Tuesday in the late morning hours at the administration facility on the Lees Creek campus.

Initially, her teaching position was filled by a school counselor, then later a substitute teacher took over to finish out the day, said East Clinton Local Schools Superintendent Gary West.

A letter was sent home Wednesday with all students in the district, informing parents of the situation and “set the record straight about what we’ve done,” West said.

Pickering was notified Wednesday she has been suspended from her teaching duties, on an unpaid basis, until court proceedings are resolved.

Wilmington attorney Michael T. Daugherty was retained Wednesday as legal counsel for Pickering, and Wednesday evening said he as yet does not know much about the case.

“From what I gather, it’s a very serious charge. She is presumed innocent. I do not know what evidence someone may claim to have about the case. We are requesting to see the state’s evidence in this case, and will make more judgments about where we should go after we see that,” Daugherty said.

Edwards said the allegation is that sexual conduct occurred more than once between Pickering and the juvenile.

The investigation began Nov. 18, said the detective. The investigation is being conducted by Sgt. Chris Lester of the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office, who formerly worked with Children Services as a case investigator before joining law enforcement.

For the second-degree felony charge, the maximum sentence is eight years in prison.

The concluding paragraph in West’s letter to district parents is, “If we can support you or your child in dealing with this situation, please contact my office or the appropriate school.”