Oak Creek teacher sex assault case; Rachel Goodle found not guilty
OAK CREEK, Wis. - A former Oak Creek High School teacher was found not guilty at trial on Thursday of second-degree sexual assault of a child.
Rachel Goodle, 23, was charged more than a year ago with second-degree sexual assault of a child and sexual assault of a student by school staff. The latter charge was ultimately dismissed without prejudice after a jury was selected, court records show.
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The allegations date back to Dec. 2, 2022. Milwaukee County prosecutors alleged Goodle, an English teacher, had sex with one of her students inside her classroom before they both attended a junior varsity basketball game.
According to a criminal complaint, the investigation included interviews with students – including the student who was allegedly involved – and a review of surveillance footage from the school that "showed what appeared to be a close relationship between Goodle and the student."
Specifically, prosecutors said video showed Goodle and a student meeting up and going into her classroom. They were in the classroom for roughly 20 minutes when another employee opened the door.
Oak Creek teacher sex assault case; overheard comments add to probe
The investigation into a potentially inappropriate relationship between an Oak Creek High School teacher and a student changed when a different teacher overheard comments made by the student.
School investigation
The Oak Creek-Franklin Joint School District investigated Goodle three times. A Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge ordered that information to be released after Goodle twice sued her former employer in an attempt to block it. It showed school district investigators found Goodle violated the employee handbook and called her conduct "unacceptable and inappropriate."
Without concrete evidence, the district settled on a 10-day suspension for Goodle in January 2023. Documents showed the suspension was reduced to four days after Goodle met with then-superintendent Dan Unertl.
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Court filings also showed Goodle filed a worker's compensation claim and had been out of work since March 2023. The report said Goodle "was deemed unable to return prior to June 10, 2023," which was the end of the school year.
Oak Creek High School
In June, the investigation said Goodle "failed to return a signed contract" by a June 15 deadline, so the district's school board voted to accept her resignation on June 26.
Official statements
FOX6 News reached out to the Oak Creek-Franklin Joint School District for a statement. A spokesperson said the district has no comment.
Chris Hartley, Goodle's attorney
"We are absolutely thrilled that the jury vindicated Rachel this afternoon. She was confirmed by a jury to be factually innocent despite overwhelming public opinion to the contrary. This is why jury trials are a foundation of this Country. Rachel is now ready to move forward with her life and we couldn’t be more happy her."
Student's family
"If the administration at Oak Creek High School had done its job in properly investigating this case, justice may have been done today. Instead, Oak Creek High School hid information and conducted a botched investigation, which led to the result in this case."