A teacher's aide at a South Bend School has been suspended indefinitely without pay after the district learned he was found liable 19 years ago in a sexual molestation civil lawsuit in California.

Superintendent Carole Schmidt issued a formal statement Saturday stating that 68-year-old Michael Ipsen had omitted and distored facts about his employment history when he applied for the position back in September of 2010.

On Friday the South Bend School Corporation "became aware" of this new information regarding his background and ordered his immediate suspension.

Ipsen was a physical education paraprofessional and track coach at Dickinson Intermediate Fine Arts Academy.

Schmidt says the School Corporation did perform a standard criminal background check before hiring Ipsen but it revealed no criminal history.

She says the district plans to conduct a more thorough investigation into Ipsen's hiring when the full administration and staff returns from the holidays.