Ex-Wahluke coach sentenced on sexual assault charge

Thomas given 90 days for conduct with two female students

EPHRATA — A former Wahluke School District employee in Mattawa pleaded guilty on June 28 in Grant County Superior Court to charges that he had sex with one high school girl and attempted to have sexual relations with another.

Doron Richard "Rich" Thomas, 40, entered an Alford plea, which means that he admits sufficient evidence exists that he could be convicted if the case proceeded to trial, but he actually stops short of admitting guilt.

By entering the plea, Thomas was given the maximum sentence of one year for fourth-degree assault with sexual motivation and a 90-day sentence for attempted fourth-degree assault with sexual motivation regarding his conduct with two female students at Wahluke High School.

"I am entering Alford plea to take advantage of plea offer and resolve this case," Thomas wrote in court documents.

According to an investigative report by Kim Cook, a detective with the Grant County Sheriff's Office, a high school student described a sexual relationship she had with Thomas while he was working as an assistant softball coach at WHS and maintenance worker for the school district.

Thomas resigned from his employment with the school district on Feb. 18, 2004 about "15-25 minutes" after he left an initial meeting with the GCSO detective in the school business manager's office where he was asked about the allegations being made about him, Cook wrote in his report.

High school principal Bob Webb, who was interviewed by Cook for the investigation, said that he never had any information involving Thomas and sexual relations with students or allegations of inappropriate behavior, according to Cook's police report.

However, in an interview Cook had with Lori K. Russell, a teacher and the girls softball coach at WHS, Russell said Thomas may have had a history of similar behavior. Russell said she was unaware of any inappropriate actions on the part of Thomas involving the recent allegations against him. She said there had been an internal investigation by the school district a number of years back involving Thomas and another student. Russell said that nothing came of that investigation as far as she knew.

Now, Judge John Antosz has suspended Thomas' 360-day jail term on the condition that he obtain sex offender evaluation and complete treatment, pay the $260 court costs, have no contact with the victims and not be employed by any school district.