LAKEVILLE — A former Indian Mountain School coach and athletic trainer was arrested Tuesday, Aug. 18, by state police on three felony charges related to alleged sexual conduct with a 15-year-old student while he was employed by the school.
Maxwell Abendroth, 32, was charged with fourth-degree sexual assault. The charge identifies the alleged victim as a student under 16 and Abendroth as a coach. He was also charged with illegal sexual contact with a minor and risk of injury to a child. State court records list Jan. 25, 2026, as the date of the alleged offenses. Abendroth was serving as the athletic director and athletic trainer at IMS at that time.
After police obtained a warrant for his arrest, Abendroth turned himself in to Troop B Headquarters in North Canaan on Tuesday, according to the police report. He was released on $50,000 bond and is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday, Aug. 27, in Torrington Superior Court.
The arrest comes nearly seven months after IMS leadership first learned that Abendroth allegedly engaged in inappropriate behavior with a student.
In a letter sent to current parents and parents of alumni on Monday, June 22, Head of School Lisa Sun said the school first learned about Abendroth’s conduct on Tuesday, Jan. 27, and immediately placed him on administrative leave. He was fired shortly thereafter and the school initiated an internal investigation and reported the conduct to the Connecticut Department of Children and Families and law enforcement.
“We learned that Mr. Abendroth had engaged in behavior toward a student that violated our code of conduct,” Sun wrote in June. “We have worked hard to support the affected student and have been in regular contact with the student’s family.”
In a separate email on Friday, Aug. 21, Sun said the school’s own investigation did not turn up evidence of additional wrongdoing. “We do not believe that the inexcusable behavior extended to other members of our community,” she wrote, but encouraged anyone with information to contact the school or law enforcement.
“Under no uncertain terms, Mr. Abendroth’s conduct represents a profound breach of the trust that families place in our school, and it stands in direct opposition to our values and expectations for every adult who works with our students.”
Abendroth, who did not respond for comment, was employed by IMS from August 2016 to January 2026. He primarily worked in the school’s athletic department, serving as an athletic trainer and assistant athletic director before taking over the department as director in 2019.
According to Abendroth’s LinkedIn profile, as athletic trainer at IMS he worked with all student-athletes, “ensuring they receive appropriate medical care for acute and chronic injuries.” He also managed orthopedic rehabilitation, diagnosed concussions and oversaw return-to-play protocols.
Indian Mountain School is a private, co-educational day and junior boarding school located in Lakeville, Connecticut. Tuition ranges from $31,250 per year for students in pre-K through fourth grade to $95,840 per year for international boarding students.
Aly Morrissey worked at Indian Mountain School from 2017 to 2023.
