The trial of a 56-year-old former Center Middle School teacher, Jay Dana, on three counts of date rape, did not begin Mon., July 15 in the Mahoning County Common Pleas Courtroom of Judge Maureen Sweeney, as originally was scheduled.
      Instead, Judge Sweeney granted a motion for a continuance filed by Dana’s counsel, Atty. J. Gerald Ingram, who also set a date of Fri., Aug. 2 for a pre-trial hearing on the matter.
      At a pre-trial hearing held June 17, the county prosecutor’s office and defense counsel agreed they are still in a discovery process and needed additional time to “view all the massive amounts of paperwork, videos and audiotapes.”
      Dana is accused of raping three women, including on Sept. 10, 2006, between July 1 and July 31, 2006, and on or about May 10, 2011.
      Additionally, The Boardman News learned investigators interviewed a woman on June 21 who has claimed she was a victim of Dana.
      Dana’s indictment alleges the former school teacher raped his victims while their ability to resist or consent was substantially impaired.
      When allegations of the May 10, 2011 surfaced, Dana abruptly left his teaching post at Center Middle School.
      Court records show Dana is free on a $10,500 bond and at the end of June was allowed by court order to travel to the state of New Mexico for three days.