Former Wahluke teacher sentenced for assault on student
MATTAWA — A former Wahluke High School teacher received a suspended sentence for an assault involving a 17-year-old male student.
Michael Smith, 46, of Wenatchee, entered an In Re Barr plea in Grant County Superior Court to fourth-degree assault. The In Re Barr plea indicates Smith is not admitting he is guilty of the crime he is pleading to and is stating there is no factual basis for the charge itself, but he believes there is a substantial risk of being convicted of the crime if the case were to proceed to trial.
Smith was initially charged with first-degree sexual misconduct with a minor in connection with a May 2016 encounter with a 17-year-old Wahluke High School student. Following a plea agreement between Deputy Prosecutor Mark Laiminger and defense attorney James D. Kirkham Jr., Grant County Superior Court Judge David Estudillo sentenced Smith to 364 days in jail, with 364 days suspended for two years.
On May 28 the Grant County Sheriff’s Office received word of a possible sexual assault involving Smith, who was an instructor and director of the Career Technical Education program at Wahluke High School, and a 17-year-old male student.
The victim told investigators he made arrangements to meet and have sexual intercourse with an older man through a social networking platform for homosexual and bisexual men. The application allows users to locate other people who have similar interests. The victim said he used the application’s messaging system to make arrangements to meet the older man, who he didn’t initially know was Smith.
The two made plans to meet on May 25 and the victim agreed to put a blindfold on and have sex with Smith. One of the victim’s friends showed up during the sexual encounter, which caused Smith to flee. The friend caught a glimpse of the older man and observed that he looked like Smith.
The victim confronted Smith the next day at WHS, with Smith admitting he was the person the student had met the previous day. Smith took the victim into a storeroom at WHS and performed a sex act on him. The boy said he told Smith he, “needed to pay him or change his grades,” according to court documents.
Smith’s story of what happened was similar to the one the victim gave. He described using the social networking platform on his cell phone and said he wanted to remain anonymous during the encounter with the victim, which is why he had the boy wear a blindfold. Smith’s story differed from the victim’s in that he claimed the boy demanded he perform a sex act on him.
“Mike explained (the victim) demanded he pay him between $50 and $200. Mike told him he didn’t have money to spare and then (the victim) demanded he (Mike) change his grades. Mike told him no and the (victim) grabbed a bag of hot Cheetos and left the store,” wrote a detective.
Smith resigned from his position at WHS after his arrest, according to the Wahluke School District.
Richard Byrd can be reached via email at city@columbiabasinherald.com.
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