CRIME & COURTS

Police: Roosevelt coach had sexual contact with 16-year-old girl

MacKenzie Elmer, and John Naughton
DesMoines

Criminal complaints and police reports tell a 16-year-old girl’s story of how a Des Moines high school girls' basketball coach took her out of class and asked for sex.

The complaints filed Wednesday show the nature of the charges brought against Roosevelt High School girls' basketball coach Gerald Lee "Tig" Johnson, 46, of Ankeny. Johnson was the girl's teacher during the 2014-2015 school year and "used his position as a school employee" to call her on her personal cellphone Dec. 1, the complaints state.

"The victim told the defendant that his behavior was making her uncomfortable," the complaint reads.

Des Moines police visited a home Dec. 3 to take a report from a 16-year-old girl who said she’d been assaulted by her teacher.

According to a police report, the girl told police she had grown close to Johnson, a special education teacher at the high school. She said that on Dec. 2, Johnson called her out of class and asked her to come to his own classroom.

He locked the door.

Johnson started to tell the teen that he “does not want to have sex with his wife anymore” and that he was “sexually attracted” to her, the report read.

Johnson held the girl’s hands as he talked to her, the teen told police. She said he would take her out of school during the day to have sex, grabbed her buttocks and breasts while he talked, then “French kissed” her, according to police.

When police asked the teen how she reacted, the girl said she felt “trapped.”

After more than an hour, Johnson reportedly walked the girl back to her class, which should be on school security cameras, records state.

Johnson turned himself in to the Polk County Jail on Tuesday afternoon. He is charged with sexual exploitation by a school employee and assault with intent to commit sexual abuse with no injury.

His next court date is Dec. 18 at 8 a.m.

The assault charge is an aggravated misdemeanor. The penalty for a sexual exploitation conviction varies based on whether prosecutors prove a pattern of sexual conduct.

Roosevelt Principal Kevin Biggs informed human resources over the weekend that police were looking into an incident involving one of their teachers, according to Phil Roeder, a spokesman for the district.

Johnson was immediately called into the administrative office for an interview with police when he arrived at work Monday, Roeder said. He was put on paid leave after the interview, said Roeder.

"School districts are required by law to report such accusations to the Board of Educational Examiners ... and we are completing that step," Roeder said.

Officials are not releasing details about the investigation leading to Johnson's arrest. Johnson did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

A teacher is assigned to Johnson's classroom duties at Roosevelt, Roeder said, and assistant coaches Brent Wooters, Morgan Schoenberg, Erin Mussett and Ashley Motter began coaching the basketball team Tuesday night. Roosevelt beat Hoover High School, 50-46.

“Young kids are pretty resilient, but there’s also a lot of questions that they have and answers that adults can’t give them, and that shakes a lot of people up,” Wooters said after the game. “But I couldn’t be more proud of the effort of the girls tonight.”

Some parents are withholding judgment on the situation, said Jodi Doyle, a mother of a Roosevelt girls' basketball player.

"At this point, we have only heard allegations and have heard no comments from our coach. We do not have the entire story at this time," Doyle said in a statement.

"Since coach Johnson took over the program last summer, the girls have played strong, and are working hard towards this season. We were all shocked and saddened by the news and feel compassion for his family during this time," Doyle said.

She added parents trust the school district's administration "will make decisions in the best interest of our daughters."

Johnson is in his first season back with the team after previously coaching at the school. He led the team to a state championship in 2006 and a state runner-up finish in 2007. He left the program after the 2008-09 season, serving as an assistant at AIB for one season, then coaching at Saydel for five years.

Roosevelt was 1-3 entering Tuesday's game at Hoover.

Roosevelt’s previous girls’ basketball coach, Chris Cundiff, resigned in June amid an investigation into financial practices involving the team.

Cundiff also coached the girls’ soccer team and was a teacher. He also resigned both of those positions.

Biggs sent an email to parents on Tuesday:

Roosevelt teacher and girls' basketball coach, Gerald "Tig" Johnson, is currently on administrative leave with the school district. He has been charged with a crime and was booked into the Polk County Jail this afternoon.

Roosevelt and the school district are cooperating in an investigation currently underway. We cannot discuss details about the investigation. There will likely be media reports about this, or rumors you may hear, but we would urge everyone not to speculate until the process is complete.

In the meantime, we will have a teacher assigned to his classroom duties and an assistant coach will be leading the girls' basketball team during this time.

Please know that our number one priority is the safety, well-being, and education of your children.  Our counseling team is available to assist any student that feels they need this support.  

Gerald Lee Johnson