Former EC teacher has child sex assault charge dismissed
Oct. 16—EAU CLAIRE — The sexual assault charge against a Mondovi man and former longtime Memorial High School teacher has been dismissed.
Roger E. Sahs, 73, had been charged with a felony count of repeated sexual assault of a child. He was accused by authorities of having sexual contact with a child in the Eau Claire County town of Brunswick.
Judge Sarah Harless recently dismissed the charge based on a motion by Eau Claire County Assistant District Attorney Kelly Ronquist.
In her motion, Ronquist sought dismissal because continued prosecution was "not in the interest of justice."
Harless dismissed the case without prejudice, meaning the charge could potentially be re-filed.
After the charge was filed in March, Sahs was removed from the Eau Claire school district's teaching list and wasn't allowed on school property. The district indicated the assaults Sahs was accused of did not involve Eau Claire school district children.
According to the criminal complaint:
Two adult females in October 2020 told Eau Claire County detectives that Sahs had touched them sexually multiple times at his town of Brunswick home between 2008 and 2010.
The females were under the age of 12 at the time.
One of the girls, now age 20, told detectives the assaults consisted of touching.
During a March 9 interview with detectives, Sahs repeatedly said he had never done anything sexually inappropriate with any girl.
Sahs taught at Memorial High School between 1973 and 2003. He most recently was a substitute teacher for the middle and high schools in Eau Claire, and subbed eight days during the 2020-21 school year, the district said.
Sahs also taught at McDonell High School in Chippewa Falls starting in 2005, according to the school district's website.
The Eau Claire school district said Sahs passed a criminal background check before becoming a substitute teacher.
