North Salem High teacher Trever Ball resigns, a year after student protest alleging abuse
This story was updated at 1:40 p.m. Monday
North Salem High School teacher Trever Ball has resigned, effective June 14.
Ball was put on administrative leave on June 1, 2023, in response to a student complaint alleging sexual assault and harassment. He remains on leave, Salem-Keizer Public Schools spokesman Aaron Harada said.
On June 2, hundreds of students from North Salem and South Salem high schools walked out of classes to protest what they said was district inaction on student complaints about Ball.
The students leading the walkout alleged they were sexually assaulted and harassed over several years by Ball, who also previously coached girls' basketball at North Salem High School.
The students said they told school officials about the incidents more than a year before the walkout, but nothing had been done.
Ball previously was on paid administrative leave from Dec. 9, 2021, through March 27, 2022. He resigned from his coaching position when he returned.
The Oregon Department of Human Services investigated the students' complaints. It determined that two allegations of sexual abuse and two allegations of threat of harm, with a total of four victims, were "founded."
"Founded" means there is reasonable cause to believe the abuse occurred, DHS Communications Director Lisa Morawski said.
Ball is appealing the findings, she said.
The state Teacher Standards and Practices Commission made a "No Further Action" determination on the case involving Ball, said Cristina Edgar, TSPC director of professional practices. Those investigation materials are confidential under Oregon law, she said.
Harada was unable to say Friday afternoon whether the district had completed its investigation into the student complaint, or whether the resignation was part of an agreement with the district.
In an email to the Statesman Journal Monday afternoon, Ball denied the allegations.
"After two years of living in limbo — which has been hard on me and my family and taken the joy out of teaching —I decided to resign to pursue other endeavors. My resignation should not be viewed as an admission of guilt. I have appealed the DHS finding and look forward to an opportunity to defend myself," Ball wrote.
In a public Instagram post advertising the walkout posted June 1, 2023, North Salem student and basketball team member Natalya Mendoza wrote at length about the alleged abuse and accused the district of inaction.
Mendoza also gave the document, dated May 25, to her English teacher, who is a mandatory reporter, prompting the district to open a new investigation, Raychel Vipperman, another student and team member, told the Statesman Journal following the walkout.
Vipperman said she was among the team members who reported abuse to the district in December 2021.
In the Salem-Keizer district, Ball previously worked at Judson Middle School and McKay High School. He also was head basketball coach at the private Crosshill Christian School and worked at South Albany High School.
Tracy Loew covers education at the Statesman Journal. Send comments, questions and tips: tloew@statesmanjournal.com or 503-399-6779. Follow her on Twitter at @Tracy_Loew
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: North Salem High School teacher accused of abuse resigns
