GUILTY OR - Chad Schacht for student sex abuse, Eugene, 2010

http://registerguard.com/csp/cms/si...schacht-sheldon-eugene-police-springfield.csp

"A Sheldon High School assistant coach who also teaches middle school in Springfield was arrested at his home in Eugene on Saturday and charged with sexually abusing a 15-year-old female student at the high school.

Chad Gerald Schacht, 40, coached cross country at the high school and taught sixth grade science, math and physical education at Agnes Stewart Middle School in Springfield [OR]....."

more at link

Oh no....this the same school that Kip Kinkel had his shootout, after killing his parents. This school has had enough tragedy!

Kimster--It's the same city, Springfield, but a different school, 4 miles away. Kip killed at Thurston High. This teacher taught at Stewart Middle School in Springfield. I'm pretty sure they're in the same district and you're right, they don't need this. Schacht lives in Eugene (when he's not in jail/Vinelink lists him as lodged at Lane County Jail). The victim is a 15 year old high school student in Eugene. The article is a bit confusing.

For those not in Oregon, Springfield and Eugene are two adjacent small cities in Central Oregon. Springfield is to the east of I-5 and Eugene (where the University of Oregon is located) is to the west of I-5.

My apologies, you are correct. Schacht coached at Thurston. Yikes!! He's had lots of access to girls in his target age.

OK, let's go back to square one. Suffice it to say that Schacht had access to a LOT of kids. This article (with photo) says that Schacht coached Cross Country at Sheldon High in Eugene and taught 6th grade at Agnes Stewart Middle School in Springfield.

http://www.kmtr.com/news/local/stor...acher-arrested-on/PmuMCYnv80auV4Wvh4gOyA.cspx

"....Police say it was staff at Sheldon High School that reported information to police about Schacht and a student at the school. Investigators believe the crimes happened in Eugene...."

The Sheldon and Thurston teams play each other, though. They also play Ashland and many other mid-size schools in Oregon as I've been to both schools for soccer games. And it needs to be remembered that many smaller schools meet for games at the larger, better equipped schools.

The guy had access but it sounds as if this victim must be a student he coached or knew in Eugene. My prayers go out to her for strength. There will most likely be many people jumping in saying that this guy "could NEVER do this" and "he's all about the kids".

Yeah, he is.

This article rubs me the wrong way. I get it. Schacht must be a popular coach. But how else are arrests made in cases of rape than by disclosure? Don't we teach our children to tell--nasty and uncomfortable as it is? Would they rather LE not arrest him until some evidence (??) shows up. Maybe they want corroboration. What kind of message does this send to other involved in athletics?

http://teamrants.com/2010/10/chad-schacht-of-sheldon-arrested/

"....It appears that Schacht has been arrested entirely on the basis of the girls’ accusations, since police have not mentioned any evidence they have in the case."

Notice that they refer to "girl" in the plural form. Hmmmm.

Here's Schlacht's FB page:

http://www.facebook.com/people/Chad-Schacht/1455219985



He also was a coach and sat on the board of the Emerald Valley Track Club in Eugene (serving kids 7-18) but they've been quick to remove his CV. Very quick. I found it through an archives check:

From 2005:

http://web.archive.org/web/20050407181155/http://www.emeraldvalleytrackclub.org/coaches.htm

Chad Schacht: Distance
Chad serves as assistant head coach and is another lifetime participant in track. He participated as a youth, through HS and as a member of the UO [University of Oregon] distance track and cross-country teams. He has been an assistant track and cross-country coach at Lane Community College for 4 years. He has been involved in coaching youth track and cross-country for 10 years and heads up our distance coaches. In addition to this, Chad is a middle school math teacher in Springfield."

From 2004:

http://web.archive.org/web/20040203143423/http://emeraldvalleytrackclub.org/coaches.htm

Chad Schacht: Distance
Chad is another lifetime participant in track. He participated as a youth, through HS and as a member of the UO distance track and cross-country teams. He has been an assistant track and cross-country coach at Lane Community College for 4 years. He has been involved in coaching youth track and cross-country for 9 years and heads up our distance coaches. In addition to this, Chad is a middle school math teacher in Springfield and sits on the board of EVTC."


It looks to me as though Schacht's career in youth sports goes back to at least the mid-90s. Parents need to know these facts, IMO.

I just joined this forum for this particular discussion.

I have known Chad for more than 10 years now, since he started coaching me at 8 years old. I have become very close with him, and my cousin ran with him at the University of Oregon back in the day. I have been hearing the rumors and been part of the large group of people, of all ages, who are shocked at what supposedly happened. From the rumors I have heard, which are from trusted sources, the girl is on the Sheldon HS cross country team and was in a relationship for 3 months with him before coming out with this. I have no idea if this is true, but I believe that the only story that is true is the one that says the story was made up by one or two young girls for whatever reason. He is definitely not a pervert, but I admit he is popular with the team (especially the girls). I am on the inside of this case, as a good friend and someone he has coached longer than anyone else (from 2000 until 2.5 months ago when I left Eugene for college). People consider him "the coolest teacher/coach ever!". I understand if you think that I am biased in my views, but after knowing Chad Schacht for as long as I have, seeing the impact he has had on me and all the other people he has coached and taught since the beginning, I am a good source. Thank you for reading this.

Missizzy said:

My apologies, you are correct. Schacht coached at Thurston. Yikes!! He's had lots of access to girls in his target age.

Click to expand...

He coaches at Sheldon.

Welcome CSSM--Thank you for joining to share your insider opinion. We'll have to wait and see as so often friends, colleagues and family are totally shocked by sex abuse allegations. One thing I've learned is that prior to an arrest, a good bit of investigative work goes into a case. A person is not arrested just on a comment. A 15 year old is a child and in the state of Oregon, incapable of consenting to sexual relations. Mr. Schacht if also in a position of authority, being a coach and teacher.

There might be some who would argue that a teen girl can "tempt" or could make false allegations. However, you'll find that here on WS, we don't really care if a 15 year old girl pranced naked in front of Schacht or "came onto him". He's an adult and a coach/teacher. She's a child. It is illegal to have any sort of sex with a child.

Concerning false allegations, that's always a possibility and one which I know that family of the accused pray about. It's really shocking, however, how seldom the disclosures actually turn out to false. We teach children to "tell". We need to listen and support them and to investigate when they do. JMO

This girl would have been thoroughly interviewed, videotaped and physically examined at the Lane County Children's Advocacy Center by specially trained detectives, therapists and a doctor. Then a grand jury meets and makes a decision as to whether there is enough evidence and whether to proceed to trial.

I would direct you to look at other cases here on WS concerning coaches, teachers, and youth ministers. A couple of names which come to mind: Marco Alferez, Steven Derlacki, and Kelly Ray Rasmussen. You can do an archive check and see what you think. These all happen to be men recently arrested for sex crimes (two in Oregon) where their communities railed against the arrest. Each man was remarkably popular with both students and parents. If you do an archive search on teacher, coach, or youth minister; you'll find hundreds of cases for comparison.

Often, those arrested are the most popular, sought after leaders. They dedicate their entire lives to the kids. I have no doubt whatsoever that Mr. Schacht is a "cool" guy. The sad fact is that those who abuse children often play the "cool" guy in order to attract victims. Pedophiles and pederasts don't go around wearing T-shirts that identify themselves. I wish they did. And remember that not every child is chosen as a victim. Some men/women are indiscriminate but many are quite discerning.

My heart goes out to you as it would be awful to have a person you cared about be accused of this heinous crime. We desperately want to believe the best about people. Our society often forgets about the suspected criminal's family and circle of friends. They are hurting too. Let's see how this shakes out. And it looks as if it is right now. Mr. Schacht was arraigned this morning:

http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cm...41/schacht-coach-officials-sheldon-monday.csp

Sheldon coach arraigned on sexual abuse charges

Parents and school officials in Springfield, where the accused teaches, say they were not informed quickly


"A Sheldon High School coach who also works as a Springfield schoolteacher was arraigned Monday in Lane County Circuit Court on felony charges alleging that he had sex with a 15-year-old female student at the high school.

Chad Gerald Schacht, 40, is being held in the Lane County Jail on six counts of second-degree sexual abuse...."

and

"...Schacht is due back in court on Dec. 6, pending the outcome of a grand jury investigation."

more at link


It doesn't look as if bail has been set. That strikes me as odd, given Schacht's standing in the community. The subject is not addressed in the article linked above. He's still being held at Lane County Jail and it looks as if several of the charges have been upgraded from third-degree to second-degree. That often happens as the investigation plays out.

And CSSM--If you haven't spent long on WS, let me introduce myself. I am a mother of 14 living in Ashland. My eight youngest children were raped and sodomized in 1997-98 by a volunteer at their school, Briscoe Elementary. The volunteer was the son of a teacher. The young man, Ryan D. Smith, was convicted on 12 sex abuse counts in February 1999 and spent 10 years incarcerated. He had literally hundreds of supporters. Now, he's a lifetime RSO. Sadly, the unimaginable does happen.

Missizzy, thank you for your reply. I learned late last night that this is indeed true and I will just have to face it, no matter what I have thought about him all these years. He is single, with no kids, and lives alone in his house. Never been married, but he has been engaged, to my cousin's best friend. I know a lot of the girls on the team are not taking this very well, as Chad is the favorite coach and who they could hang around with. I am sure I would not feel too great knowing that the coach I hang off of every day turned out to be a sex offender. The cross country team is going through closed counseling at Sheldon, and is offered to any other student if they need.

Doesn't the possible fact that they were in the relationship and she wasn't resisting, but was instead enjoying it change anything? Or does that only effect when both people are legally aged?

Thank you for introducing yourself. I am very sorry to hear what happened to your children. You say that this young man was locked away for ten years for 12 counts, so would that mean that for six accounts, as Chad does, would add up to five years?

CSSM--First may I commend you for being "gracious" at a very difficult time. I am so sorry that you are having to deal with this news. So often the ripple effect is overlooked. So many are harmed by one person's choice to break the law and to steal a child's innocence.

To answer your questions, it does not matter if the student/teen/child enjoyed the act. FWIW, we never use the word sexual relationship as it is illegal to have a sexual relationship with a child. The news media uses that phrase frequently and we are quick to set them straight. There should be no minimization of a crime. The actual charges reflect the seriousness of this matter.

The girl might have enjoyed the sex and the attention. She might have flirted and tempted and offered herself up on a silver platter. But that doesn't matter in the eyes of the law as she is a child and cannot consent to these actions. If Mr. Schacht succumbed to prurient desires, he will pay the price. There isn't a middle school or high school teacher alive (male or female, straight, bi, or gay) who doesn't realize the sexualized "stew" they are stepping into when they choose to teach at those levels. Many many people couldn't do it and I respect them for staying out of the schools, athletics, and youth clubs. My own husband has always declined chaperoning at high school dances as he feels it would be far too tempting to ogle the 16-18 year olds in their skimpy dresses.

Unfortunately, there is no way to determine what sort of sentence Mr. Schacht will receive. There's really no way to compare cases. Our children's rapist was a minor when he was arrested and he was held as long as possible--until age 25. If there is overwhelming evidence ie as a pregnancy or an abortion, I would assume that Mr. Schacht might plead guilty. Then, it all depends on the judge. Undoubtedly, the fact that the teen was not resistant will be taken into account but there is the issue of Mr. Schacht being in a position of authority instead of a peer less than 3 years older. We've seen sadly inadequate sentences ranging from nothing more than probation to years or even decades of incarceration. Most likely, though, he will be ordered to be listed on the registry and his teaching/coaching career is over. He made that choice when he touched the child, however. He chose this path. Every teacher and coach is well educated on the penalties of sexual abuse.

I happen to believe that there can be life on the registry. If he is a bright and creative and caring man (as everyone says), maybe he can find another line of work or work only with non-disabled adults. There are always options. He made a horrible mistake but that doesn't mean that he can't turn his life around and start over.

I wish you and your circle of friends strength at this time. My prayers go out to the girl and her family. This event will change their lives forever.

Wow, Missizzy, this forum has really been rocking! I have been diverted while working on my database and obsessively following the Zahra Baker case, but do pop in and check up once in a while. As usual, there is no lack of child predators running around.

CSSM--I've been pondering something all day and thought I'd share it with you. You might have noticed that most on WS will roll their eyes when friends and family come on board to defend the arrested. We have heard it all before. It's a lot like "the dog ate my homework". But sometimes dogs do eat homework. I can attest to that.

About ten years ago, I was sitting at a school picnic with a mom I'd just met. We were discussing teachers. I feel so fortunate that our children went to a really lovely elementary school with caring and engaged teachers. Almost all lived locally and their kids went to the same school. It made for a very close community.

This mom and I were discussing a certain teacher whom I really liked. She was shocked that I felt comfortable with him. I was totally perplexed. This man taught five of my children and they loved him. This man had visited in my home and I felt comfortable with him. He was personable, funny, very popular, and seemed to genuinely care about his students. He was definitely one of the "cool" teachers. One of my daughters entered his class as a timid little wallflower and together the teacher, my husband and I made a goal for her to "come out of her shell" that year. Did she ever!! He pushed her and prodded her until there was no way to ever put her "back in her shell"!! She's in top level management now and a force to contend with.

The same teacher also did very well with our children with developmental disabilities. He nurtured them and made them feel good about themselves. He taught a number of them after their rape trial and that was no easy task. He gently gave them their space but was always supportive of them.

As I sat extolling the virtues of this kind man to the woman, she just shook her head. She completely disagreed with me. Her daughter had been in the man's class and she'd removed her as the teacher was too "touchy-feely". FWIW, the entire town of Ashland is "touchy-feely" and this woman was not local.

It was in reflecting back on that conversation that I now see how some people can instantly defend someone and say, "He/she would NEVER do that to a child." If you truly trust someone and have seen nothing but wonderful things in that person, I completely understand. I do think that many yell a little too loudly as we need to remember that we sure as heck can't know everything about a person, even our own family members or spouse. But I get it.

As for that teacher....he's still working his magic on kids and parents. He's a true treasure. I think that other mother must have had some triggers of her own. I respect her for following her intuition, though, as many don't.

CSSM said:

Doesn't the possible fact that they were in the relationship and she wasn't resisting, but was instead enjoying it change anything? Or does that only effect when both people are legally aged?

Click to expand...

It doesn't matter if she was a willing or not. He should of known better! You don't have relations with a student! EVER! Its NEVER ok under any circumstances. I'm assuming you don't have kids, but when you do i'm sure you wouldn't want a 40 yr old raping or having sex with your CHILD.

Its sad, school should be a safe place you can send kids w/o worry but its just not that way anymore! :banghead:

CSSM,

Thank you for joining Websleuths - I am sorry it is under these circumstances.

I just received some new information.. The girl turned out to be the girl I suspected. She dropped out of Sheldon High School because of the embarrassment. I will keep you all updated whenever I hear anything that isnt on the news. This new info really proves that he really is guilty..

I had a PE teacher who was into the girls. We knew it was inappropriate, and every once in a while, someone would say something to an adult, but he was young, handsome, and charming. And the attention was very flattering.
But what he could get away with at 28 didn't fly at 50, and I read about him getting busted years later.
CSSM, I know it can almost seem romantic now, but think how it will be in 20 years, when he's in his late 40s, and still chasing 15-year-olds.

T-Rex said:

I had a PE teacher who was into the girls. We knew it was inappropriate, and every once in a while, someone would say something to an adult, but he was young, handsome, and charming. And the attention was very flattering.
But what he could get away with at 28 didn't fly at 50, and I read about him getting busted years later.
CSSM, I know it can almost seem romantic now, but think how it will be in 20 years, when he's in his late 40s, and still chasing 15-year-olds.

Click to expand...

Are you talking about Chad Schacht? He is 40 years old right now..

I just helped an old friend locate a teacher she had at age 13 at a California Christian school. She'd carried guilt for years that she hadn't told and other girls must have been abused too. She'd heard a rumor that he'd abused his own daughter when that child was also around 13.

I spent days (with the help of another WSer) hunting this guy down. It wasn't easy and we kept hitting dead ends. It didn't help that he had a common name. We had little to go on--his name, approximate age and a school where he'd taught 30 years ago which has since closed. I almost gave up. Then, through a stroke of luck, I found him. I found a news article about a volunteer in a small country school who helped out one hour each day. He had been a retired teacher and the kids loved him. He's passed a background check.

An hour a day until little pre-teen girls starting coming forward to say that Mr. E was touching them and asking them to "do" things. He was arrested, jailed for a short time and is on probation and the registry. He raped my sweet friend when she was 13 and he was 35. She thought he was so cool at first and relished the attention until he wouldn't stop. She didn't know how to tell her parents. She thought they wouldn't believe her or would be disappointed in her. Her own best friend didn't believe her. She stayed away from him and turned down all his requests to babysit his young children. She spent the next 30 years suffering and looking over her shoulder.

I've tried to counsel her this week and assuage her guilt. In 1980, children still were not taught about disclosing abuse by those close to them. They knew all about the yucky guys on the street corner but how do you tell about Mr. E or your pastor or your coach or your uncle?

My friend is 43 and when she described this man she said he was tall and big and creepy. When I looked at his registry, I noticed that he's 5' 9" and 156 lbs and just a typical looking 65 year old man. Not big at all. Not really creepy looking to me. But huge to a petite 13 year old. And creepy as hell.

http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/web/updates/25491598-46/schacht-eugene-coach-jail-sex.csp

Coach accused of sex with student is bailed out of jail


"A Sheldon High School coach accused of having sex with a 15-year-old female student has been bailed out of jail.

Chad Schacht, 40, was released from the Lane County Jail on Monday night, two days after Eugene police arrested him. The Eugene resident faces six felony counts of second-degree sex abuse....."

and

"....Schacht’s bail had been set at $300,000, He paid $30,000 to be released. While free, he will wear an electronic bracelet around his ankle so authorities can monitor his whereabouts....."

more at link

We know those work like a charm.