Former Memorial teacher charged with sexual assault of a child

Mar. 12—EAU CLAIRE — A Mondovi man and former longtime Memorial High School teacher has been charged with having sexual contact with a child in the town of Brunswick.

Roger E. Sahs, 72, was charged Friday in Eau Claire County Circuit Court with one count of repeatedly sexually assaulting a child.

Sahs has been removed from the Eau Claire school district's teaching list and he won't be allowed on school property, the district said Friday in a news release. The assaults Sahs is accused of do not involve ECSD students, the school district said.

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, according to the complaint.

In a March 9 interview with Eau Claire County detectives, Sahs repeatedly denied having sexual contact with the females.

Sahs taught at Memorial High School between 1973 and 2003. He most recently was a substitute teacher for middle and high school 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 also said Sahs passed a criminal background check before becoming a substitute teacher.

The district added in a statement: "We will continue to assist local law enforcement officers in their investigation in any way we can. The safety and wellbeing of our students is our top priority."

The charges also don't involve a McDonell Area Catholic Schools student, said McDonell schools on Friday.

"There is no evidence that Mr. Sahs engaged in any such conduct in his capacity as a McDonell employee," McDonell schools said in a news release. " ... Each employee is subjected to comprehensive FBI background checks before beginning employment and at regular intervals. Mr. Sahs passed his background checks while at MACS. We hope that justice prevails for all involved."

Sahs' initial court appearance is slated for April 13.