Former Salem-Keizer teacher sentenced to 20 years for sexually abusing 2 students

A former Salem-Keizer teacher was sentenced to 20 years in prison Friday for sexually abusing two students over a 10-year span.

Shane Ross, 40, stood before a packed courtroom as Marion County Judge Courtland Geyer delivered his sentence.

Prosecutors had argued for a 25-year prison sentence.

They took the fact that Ross was not forcing the two victims to endure a trial into consideration, prosecutor Ashley Cadotte said.

He didn't deserve anything less, she said, adding that a shorter sentence would discount the fact that Ross subjected two separate victims and their families to years of sexual abuse.

Ross' abuse not only robbed two children of their innocence, it damaged and betrayed a community that continues to struggle with the massive ripple effect his actions left behind, Cadotte said.

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He wasn't a bogeyman. He wasn't a stranger in a van. He was a trusted teacher and coach.

"That is the scariest type of predator," she said. "That is the most dangerous type."

Cadotte read letters written by the victims aloud in court.

The abuse had consumed such a large part of her childhood and will continue to influence the rest of her life, one victim said.

"No child deserves to have their innocence taken away from them in the way that I did," she said.

The other victim described the sickening flashback she experienced when she learned Ross had been arrested.

"I'm glad I finally spoke up," she said. "I'm glad I got to tell my story."

His defense attorney Marc Gunn argued for a shorter sentence of 10 years, citing the support of family and members in Ross' Mormon church.

Church members spoke of Ross' hope for rehabilitation and the painful impact a longer sentence would have on his wife and 11- and 8-year-old children.

Ross began crying at the mention of his children and as his wife asked the judge to give her husband the chance to change and be a part of their lives.

Before Ross was placed on paid administrative leave in March 2017 and resigned in July 2017, he taught at five Salem-Keizer schools for more than 17 years.

He joined Houck Middle School as a physical education teacher in 2000 and left in 2001.

In 2002, he transferred to Parrish Middle School to teach physical education and computer education.

He remained at Parrish until 2011, when he transferred to teach PE at Schirle Elementary School and Rosedale Elementary School at the same time. He divided his time teaching at both schools until 2012.

In 2012, he transferred to Englewood Elementary School and taught PE until being placed on leave in March of this year.

According to court records, investigators learned of the sexual abuse after one of Ross' victims disclosed to a childhood friend that one of their middle school teachers had sexually abused her from 2009 — when she was 12 years old — until she graduated high school in 2015.

The friend told a neighbor, who, as a mandatory reporter, alerted police.

Ross was the girl's track coach, PE teacher and computer teacher. She also was his classroom aide. His contact with the girl began as "friendly touches on the shoulder." But within a year, it had evolved into hugging then eventually sexual contact.

Police arrested Ross in June on five counts of first-degree sexual abuse, nine counts of second-degree sexual abuse and one count of second-degree unlawful sexual penetration.

News of his arrest soon reached another of Ross' former students. She contacted police and confirmed their suspicions: The girl in their investigation was not Ross' only victim.

"Once she heard of the abuse, she decided to come forward in order to ensure that Mr. Ross was held accountable for his actions," attorney Chris Besttold the Statesman Journal.

Best and fellow attorney Ron Sayer, both of the Gatti Law Firm in Salem, filed a tort claims notice in August announcing their intention to sue Salem-Keizer public schools for ignoring glaring "red flags" of sexual abuse involving Ross for years.

Had they acted, Ross might not have gone on to abuse another student, Best said.

According to court records, Ross began abusing his previous victim in 2001, when she was a sixth grader at Parrish. Ross, her teacher and track coach, groomed the girl in a similar manner, by touching her shoulders and hugging her.

He began requesting she help him put gym equipment away and used the seclusion as an opportunity to molest her. The abuse continued until eighth grade when the girl moved away.

After hearing the girl's account, prosecutors filed new charges against Ross.

He pleaded guilty to four counts of first-degree sexual abuse, second-degree unlawful sexual penetration and four counts second-degree sexual abuse.

In a letter, Salem-Keizer Public Schools Superintendent Christy Perry said Ross' actions were inexcusable.

"Words cannot express the devastation Mr. Ross has caused," she said. "His actions have cast a black cloud on the profession."

She asked that Ross be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Before Geyer delivered his sentence, Ross addressed the courtroom.

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He apologized to his victims and asked for mercy.

"I hope you can forgive me for what I've done and that forgiveness can bring healing in your life," he said.

Geyer sentenced him to two overlapping prison sentences of 150 months for one victim and 165 months for the other.

He said he agreed with witness testimony that Ross' actions were reprehensible and the victims needed protection and justice.

"You have harmed two children and the people around them beyond what I can articulate," Geyer said.

For questions, comments and news tips, email reporter Whitney Woodworth at wmwoodwort@statesmanjournal.com, call 503-399-6884 or follow on Twitter @wmwoodworth