SALEM, Ore. — A music teacher sued by two former students for sexual abuse has been removed from his position at Kalapuya Elementary School in Salem, according to Salem-Keizer Public Schools.
The allegations of sexual abuse and negligence documented in the civil lawsuit stem from the teacher's time at another school in the district, McNary High School in Keizer, from 2015 to 2020. There have been no reported allegations of misconduct at Kalapuya Elementary School. The teacher, identified in the lawsuit as Joshua Rist, was a choir teacher at McNary.
In the letter sent by the district to families Sunday night, the district said that Rist would "no longer be at Kalapuya Elementary School," effective Monday, and that the district would assign a substitute music teacher.
In a statement to KGW, the district said it is aware of the lawsuit against Rist but has no comment on pending litigation. The district is also named in the lawsuit, which was filed in Marion County on Sept. 27.
"The district is aware of and fully cooperated in the investigation by both law enforcement and TSPC," the district told KGW. "Mr. Rist was on leave during investigation. The District is focused on the safe education of its students. Mr. Rist is currently on leave and the district is assigning a substitute music teacher to Kalapuya. Beyond that, we cannot comment on this matter as it is a part of a pending lawsuit."
Two of Rist's former high school students sued Salem-Keizer Public Schools and Rist, their former choir teacher at McNary High School. The lawsuit accuses Rist of grooming, harassing and abusing the two students, identified as Jane Doe 1 and 2 in the lawsuit, when they were teenagers.
"The purpose of this lawsuit is really simple, and it's to send a message to the Salem-Keizer School District that they simply have to put their students’ safety first," said attorney Emily Stebbins, who represents the two women.
The lawsuit alleges that between 2015 and 2020, Rist formed inappropriate relationships with the two students simultaneously. The plaintiffs claim their teacher sexually abused them and the school district didn’t do enough to stop it.
"All of this abuse went on for years," Stebbins said. "It wasn't just a few interactions that were inappropriate. It was a years-long systemic, prolonged grooming behavior, inappropriate topics ranging from masturbation to sexual topics that no high school girl should ever have to talk to their teacher. Somebody they trusted, a mentor, somebody they thought was there for them with good intentions, had nothing but ill intentions for them."
Stebbins said that while her clients are each asking for $5 million in damages, they're coming forward to protect others.
"Their primary motivation is protecting other children and making sure that this doesn't happen again," she said.
The lawsuit laid out that the Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission, or TSPC, investigated the students' allegations over the two years. The investigation resulted in a 60-day suspension over the summer for Rist and three years of job probation.
In an Oct. 2021 letter obtained by KGW, the Marion County District Attorney's Office said that the Keizer Police Department had also investigated complaints against Rist "alleging inappropriate contact with students," conducting interviews with a number of Rist's former students at McNary and his previous school in Hermiston. The alleged crimes would have constituted harassment or third-degree sexual abuse, the DA's office said, with sufficient evidence to proved them beyond a reasonable doubt.
"After a complete review of the investigative reports and evidence seized in the investigation, no criminal charges will be filed as there is insufficient evidence to prove either crime," Deputy DA Katie Suver wrote to Keizer police. "If you receive additional information related to this investigation, I would be happy to review it."
"They've been so incredibly traumatized by this," said Stebbins of her clients. "And after coming forward, after sharing their story with the police, with the school district, with the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission, going through all of that ... that what they see is him going back and working in an elementary school. And our clients are horrified."
KGW reached out to Rist directly for a comment, but has yet to hear back.
