Junior high golf coach raped girl, cops say. But, district claims it's not a school matter.

A former Ohio girls golf coach is accused of raping a child under the age of 13, but he claims he is not guilty, authorities said.

Nicholas Bryant, 40, was employed by the Milford Exempted Village School District in Ohio as a junior high girls golf coach, police said.

After an investigation, a Clermont County grand jury indicted Bryant on four counts of gross sexual imposition and four counts of rape for incidents that took place between May 2017 and November 2020, as reported by the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Bryant served as the junior high girls golf coach for the fall 2019 and fall 2020 seasons, school reps said. He also volunteered during the fall 2018 season.

The school representative stated Bryant passed FBI and Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation background checks before volunteering in 2018. The state Department of Education also approved his pupil activity permit.

Bryant is no longer an employee of the school district, authorities said.

The incidents did not happen during school time, authorities said. A district representative said in an email to the Enguirer, “This is not a school matter. The alleged incidents for which Nicholas Bryant is charged did not happen on school grounds nor during the hours of his position as coach."

While the investigation continues, the school representative stated they are fully cooperating with the Miami Township Police Department.

Bryant pleaded not guilty to the eight charged against him, authorities said. He is scheduled for a pre-trial hearing on April 9.