Court orders new trial for former Waterloo teacher

An appeals court is ordering a new trial for a Waterloo teacher convicted of inappropriate behavior toward a 17-year-old male student who he had strip in his home.

The court ruled Wednesday that jurors who convicted Larry Twigg of lascivious conduct toward a minor shouldn't have heard about similar behavior with two previous students.

During his trial, Twigg, 55, was accused of convincing a 17-year-old student to make snow angels in his boxer shorts. He also poured "pineapple sauce, chocolate sauce, eggs, flour, milk and two different kinds of candy" on the young man in a bathtub.

The defense argued Twigg's actions were inexcusable, but not sexually motivated, and said Twigg suffered a head injury in an earlier traffic accident that resulted in "diminished responsibility." According to court documents, the expert witness testified that he didn't think Twigg had a head injury, and thought Twigg was "cognitively intact."

Twigg was terminated from his teaching position at Waterloo West High School in 2010. He was convicted in April 2011, and 

sentenced to a total of two years in prison on the convictions.