Dentist, 'Hoosiers' actor agrees to plea deal

An Indiana dentist, known for his role in the 1986 sports film "Hoosiers," has entered a plea deal to resolve allegations that he locked a female employee in an office and inappropriately touched her, according to a story published on August 9 in the Times Union Online.

Dr. Steven Hollar. Image courtesy of Hollar Dental Group.

Dr. Steven Hollar, 57, of Hollar Dental Group in Warsaw, IN, was sentenced on August 9 to one year and six months in jail with the entire prison term suspended on probation in exchange for him pleading guilty to lesser misdemeanor offenses of confinement and battery. Two other criminal charges were dropped as part of his plea deal, according to the story.

Furthermore, a no-contact order between the dentist and his victim, who was present during his sentencing, will remain effective until his sentence is concluded. All of the judges in Kosciusko County, which is where Hollar's practice is located, recused themselves from his court proceedings. Hollar is well known in the community for playing the role of Rade Butcher opposite Gene Hackman's coach Norman Dale in the movie.

In April 2023, police investigated a claim from a former dental practice employee concerning Hollar's alleged behavior. In January 2023, she began working as a front desk employee but became a dental assistant a month later.

In March 2023, the woman alleged that Hollar asked her invasive questions about her father and her child's father during her annual performance review, gave her positive and negative comments about her performance, and told her to try on scrubs in front of him. Hollar allegedly discussed the employee not wearing a bra underneath a jacket he provided to her. Also, he purportedly offered to pay for her radiology courses, told her he was going to enroll her in the courses, and gave her a $2 raise.

Later during the review, Hollar allegedly told her that he didn't expect her to change in the room and that she should have gone to the bathroom to change. Then she claimed he laughed, she apologized, he assured her that everything was fine and hugged her. Then he reportedly said, "Let's keep this between us." She said he made her feel like she did something wrong, according to reports.

When she arrived home, Hollar allegedly called her, asked if she was alone, and explained that he was giving her flexible hours, allowing her to come in 30 minutes later if it made life easier for her and her child. Additionally, he reportedly sent her a text message asking if she liked the jacket that he had given to her and if she tried it on at home.

In another incident around this time frame, Hollar purportedly told the woman to go to an upstairs office and sit in a dental chair so he could demonstrate how to properly assist a disabled person in getting in and out of a dental chair. During the demonstration, Hollar allegedly grabbed the employee's breasts on the outside of her clothing and then joked about it, according to the stories.

In April 2023, Hollar reportedly called the woman to a downstairs office to discuss an employee who was experiencing trouble ordering scrubs. After he purportedly locked the office door, she claimed that he told her to put on a pair of scrubs in front of him that she knew wouldn't fit her. When another employee could be heard down the hall from the office, Hollar allegedly told the woman to stay quiet so that no one would hear her.

During this incident, Hollar purportedly instructed the woman to try on different pairs of scrubs that he knew wouldn't fit her. While she was turned away from the dentist, Hollar allegedly unhooked her bra from behind and grabbed her breasts. She claimed that Hollar said his behavior was "against code," she agreed, and he laughed. She claimed that she attempted to get dressed and leave. At this time, Hollar reportedly requested to see her cesarean section scar, then allegedly reached forward, moved her scrub pants, and grabbed her underwear to see the scar.

The employee made attempts to leave, but the dentist tried to get her to stay. Eventually, he left the office and went to the storage room to chat with another employee. The woman claimed that two other employees saw her leave the office.