MIDDLEBURY — A Shoreham man on Feb. 22 pleaded innocent in Addison County Superior Court, criminal division, to a charge of lewd and lascivious conduct with a child, stemming from his alleged contact with a young boy.
The accused — Mark Zizis, 41 — has been a special education teacher at the Chittenden Central Supervisory Union for the past 11 years, and he is also a martial arts instructor at Green Mountain PPS Inti Ombak.
Det. Ruth Whitney of the Addison County Unit for Special Investigations (ACUSI) was lead investigator in the case, which resulted in the lewd and lascivious charge against Zizis.
It was on Feb. 17 that Whitney received a report alleging that “a male between the ages of 7 and 8” had been fondled by Zizis. Officer William Austin of the Middlebury Police Department and Katie Colligan of the Vermont Department for Children & Families joined Whitney in the investigation of Zizis, according to court records.
“The investigation revealed that Zizis should be criminally charged for his actions,” read a press release from ACUSI.
Addison County Superior Court Judge Samuel Hoar released Zizis, with conditions, following his Feb. 22 arraignment.