EAST TROY, Wis. — A former East Troy Middle School band teacher, accused of sexually assaulting multiple students, pleaded guilty to two counts of repeated sexual assault of a child on Friday.
The incidents happened between August 2017 and July 2018, according to a criminal complaint.
John Rash, 46, was facing nine counts of repeated sexual assault of a child. Prosecutors say he used his position as a teacher to sexually assault female students.
In court Friday, he pleaded guilty to two counts, with the remaining charges to be dismissed. He faces up to 40 years for each of the two counts.
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Despite the incidents occurring between 2017 and 2018, East Troy police say accusations of inappropriate touching and remarks were not brought to their attention at the time. They say school staff determined the allegations didn’t meet the threshold for mandatory reporting under state law, according to the complaint.
Watch: Former East Troy band teacher pleads guilty in court to two counts of sexual assault of a child
It wasn’t until three years later that police got involved, after the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI), which conducted its own investigation based on tips from concerned parents, sent its report to East Troy Police in 2021.
Rash resigned from East Troy Middle School in March, a year later. According to the DPI report, he agreed to surrender his teaching license after it threatened to revoke it.
Throughout the court proceedings last year, one of the major arguments the defense used is what they say is a lack of physical evidence, no video, and police interviews with alleged victims that came years after the alleged assault.
The East Troy Community School District Board of Education released the following statement Friday evening:
“The ETCSD Board of Education is aware of a plea deal that has been reached in the criminal case of John Rash, a former teacher at East Troy Middle School. This has been an ongoing legal issue for several years involving allegations made by former students against Mr. Rash. Because this is a matter involving students, personnel, and criminal and civil litigation, we are unable to comment on the specifics of the case, other than to emphasize the importance of respect for all individuals involved. Additionally, we want our families and community to know that our Board, Administrators, Faculty, and Staff are committed to the learning, safety and wellbeing of all our students. We will continue to work to support our students in any way we can.”
Rash is due back in court for sentencing on March 20.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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