Washington teacher arrested for ‘sexual misconduct’ with 16-year-old female student in school band room

According to KATU, in 2013, a custodian walked in on Gatson engaging in sex acts with a minor, a 16-year-old student, in the school’s band room. The incident was reported to school officials, but both the teacher and student denied it.

Court documents showed that officers interviewed Gatson's alleged victim, who said she came forward now due to the ongoing trauma the alleged incidents have caused her as well as the suspicion that the teacher may have other victims. Additionally, she told investigators she originally denied the claims because Gatson told her to. At the time, Gatson did receive a disciplinary letter in his file.

According to court documents, the relationship allegedly began after Gatson gave the victim detention and “sexual acts happened at both home and the school.”

However, this was not the first claim against him. The outlet reported that Gatson had similar allegations in his school disciplinary record over many years, as early as 2009, and there may be another allegation involving a student in 2024. Vancouver Police are investigating the most recent incident related to a separate victim.

Gatson has other letters in his file including one in 2017 for failure to maintain a boundary with two other female students. Similar letters go back as far as 2009. He was placed on leave and the arrest stems from a December 2, 2024 report made by the victim to the school and Vancouver police.

Investigators have also reviewed journals in which the alleged victim described her sexual encounters with Gatson, letters allegedly exchanged between herself and the teacher, the school's internal investigation documents, and interviewed other people who allegedly witnessed intimacy.

Court documents show in Gatson’s file additional accusations of misconduct with other female students between 2009 and 2017. The documents also show that investigators attempted to interview Gatson about the other alleged incident involving a different victim but he declined to answer questions.

In Washington state, all school faculty are required by law to report suspicions of child abuse to law enforcement and child protective services. However, it is unclear whether that occurred or if there was only an internal investigation.

On Friday night following the arrest, Hudson’s Bay High School Principal Val Seeley and Vancouver Public Schools Superintendent Jeff Snell sent a message to families informing them of Gatson's arrest, stating that they had placed him on administrative leave last month while the district cooperated with police to investigate "claims of inappropriate behavior."

They also wrote, “Whenever we receive a report of inappropriate behavior, we take it very seriously. These reports are thoroughly investigated by our school administration and human resources team. When necessary, we also involve law enforcement and independent third-party investigators to ensure a comprehensive review.”

Gatson is facing first-degree sexual misconduct charges, a Class C felony, relating to his alleged relations with the 16-year-old student. On Monday, he appeared in court virtually, and Clark County Judge Susan Clark set bail at $100,000. He was ordered not to have contact with any minors but asked for an exception for his two minor children so he could live at home.

Gatson’s arrest is the latest in a pattern of public school teachers being arrested for sex crimes involving minors in Washington and Oregon.