By T. Scott Boatright
Former Louisiana Center for the Blind counselor Michael Ausbun was arrested Wednesday in connection to an ongoing police investigation into a sexual assault allegation that occurred at the Louisiana Center for the Blind.
Ausbun, 25, was arrested with a charge of “molestation of a juvenile or a person with a physical or mental disability.”
The arrest was related to alleged abuse a former student at the Center for the Blind in Ruston said was committed by Ausbun and was first reported to police in January.
Also reported to be blind, Ausbun is said to have been an employee at the Louisiana Center for the Blind’s summer program for high school students in 2018. The victim was a reportedly student attending the program, and also a minor, at the time.
Ausbun was reported to be previously certified by the National Blindness Professional Certification Board in Ruston to teach blind people about using a cane to travel and was reported to also be an active member of National Federation of the Blind who once served as the first vice president of its National Association of Blind Students board.
Documents that can be found on the NFB website say Ausbun said he was working toward getting a masters degree at Louisiana Tech University in counseling and guidance. According to the Louisiana Tech University website, Asbun received a graduate certificate from Louisiana Tech in the fall of 2018.
