Judge rules Bough competent to stand trial

Former Tecumseh High School (THS) band and orchestra director Michael David Bough waived a preliminary examination after a judge ruled December 14 he is competent to stand trial.

Bough, 49, of Raisin Township, is charged of having an inappropriate relationship with a student. He is accused of using his position to coerce a 17-year-old student into having sex with him during a period of several months. The abuse was discovered in July. He faces five counts of third-degree and one count of second-degree sexual conduct. Combined, the charges carry up to 15-year prison terms. Bough is being held at the Lenawee County Jail on a $1.5 million dollar bond.

Bough was bound to Lenawee County Circuit Court for arraignment on December 23 during a hearing in district court. Judge Laura J. Schaedler reviewed a report by a state psychologist, who examined Bough before ruling him mentally competent.

THS Principal Griff Mills discovered an inappropriate relationship on school property on Thursday, July 23, and immediately contacted the police and the student’s parents. Bough was arrested in August by the Tecumseh Police Department, assisted by the University of Michigan Police Department after the Lenawee County Prosecutor’s Office issued a six-count felony warrant for his arrest. In a press release, school officials said that the safety of students is their top priority, and that Bough’s actions do not represent the professionalism of the staff of TPS.