Accused Tahoma Teacher Resigns

MAPLE VALLEY - A Tahoma High School teacher and coach accused by a former student of sexual misconduct has resigned.

Doug Wilson, head football coach for five years and head track coach for 10 years, negotiated an agreement with school officials that included his resignation, said Mike Maryanski, acting superintendent of the Tahoma School District.

Wilson's resignation was accepted by the School Board last week. He had been on administrative leave since September, when the district began investigating a former student's allegations that she had a sexual relationship with her teacher and coach during her senior year.

"The district did act quickly and conducted an exhaustive investigation to insure the safety of our students in the school system," Maryanski said.

Wilson, 39, was accused of initiating a sexual relationship that lasted several months and took place two or three years ago, said the girl's mother, who asked that her daughter not be identified.

The mother said she was pleased by the resignation, "except that we don't know where he'll go from here."

King County prosecutors investigated the allegations last fall but decided not to file charges after concluding there was insufficient evidence to prove a crime had occurred, according to Dan Donohoe, spokesman for the prosecuting attorney's office.

The small Tahoma district has been torn by several cases of sexual abuse and harassment in recent years:

-- The district came under fire two years ago from parents unhappy that the district had allowed a Tahoma Junior High teacher, Ron Lawrence, to continue teaching after he admitted an earlier sexual encounter with a student.

-- Ed Heiser resigned as superintendent last October after two employees complained he had made inappropriate sexual remarks and jokes.

-- Tahoma High music teacher Lonnie Butz committed suicide in 1986 after criminal charges that he had molested a choir member during an out-of-town trip.

-- The state superintendent of public instruction's office last year investigated and then dismissed allegations of sexual misconduct involving two other Tahoma teachers.

Maryanski said the district has instituted a training program for current and new teachers intended to reduce the likelihood of sexual misconduct.

The district is in the process of informing state officials of the investigation of Wilson, Maryanski said. He declined to release documents or discuss details of the investigation before the former teacher has had the opportunity to seek a court order blocking release of documents.

Wilson could not be reached for comment. He taught English and social studies at Tahoma High since 1984, when he also became assistant football coach and head track coach. He was named head football coach in 1989, when then-coach Terry Cavender became the district's athletic director.

Wilson did not coach any football games during the 1993 season because he was on administrative leave. Doug Patrick, an assistant coach at Tahoma and former head coach at Auburn and Federal Way, served as interim head coach.

Cavender said yesterday that he was not sure what the timeline will be for hiring a new head coach. Tony Davis, head football coach at Renton High School, has been hired as Tahoma's new head coach for boys' and girls' track. He was an assistant boys' track coach at Renton last spring.