Another former East Troy Middle School band student has come forward with allegations that she was sexually assaulted by the former band teacher, joining five other women with similar claims.
John C. Rash, 46, of Elkhorn is charged with second-degree sexual assault of a child younger than 16, a Class C felony.
In two other Walworth County Circuit Court cases, Rash is facing a total of eight counts of repeated sexual assault of a child. In those cases, he has pled not guilty and is scheduled for jury trial Dec. 16.
In the most recent case, Rash is scheduled in court for his initial appearance Oct. 21.
According to the criminal complaint filed on Oct. 1, a woman reported that back in 2005, her teacher, Rash, inappropriately touched her on the leg and genital area.
She said she played the French horn all three years that she was in band, and performed in band, brass choir and quartet.
She said Rash was her favorite teacher because he was “young’ and “cool,” and she felt safe around him. She also stated he seemed to have revitalized the band program.
She said during the end of the 2005 school year, she was having an individual lesson and Rash was seated to her left, leaning forward as if he were reading the music. She said he was touching her leg, and she thought it was weird but assumed he wasn’t aware he was touching her leg.
She said he then slid his hand up her leg and touched her vagina, outside of her pants. This caused her to cry, and she said he asked her why she was crying. She said she continued playing and he pressed his hand harder against her crotch.
The woman said that at the time, she blamed herself and didn’t think her parents would believe her story. She also recalled that Rash would “get really mad” and throw his baton across the room. She said he would have angry outbursts at times, but most of the time, “he was a really cool teacher.”
She further stated that after the incident, she no longer wanted to play French horn and did not play in high school.
Rash pled not guilty to eight other similar charges made in 2023. Attorney Patrick Kiernan Cafferty is representing Rash.
According to the criminal complaint filed Oct. 23, 2023, in September 2022, law enforcement received a report from Child Protective Services of a 19-year-old woman who had included on her college application descriptions of being sexually and physically assaulted by her middle school band teacher from 2016-18.
The woman told investigators that in sixth grade, Rash would sit next to her during group lessons, brushing her chest with the back of his hand while conducting, and he would place his hand on her upper thigh. She said the touching would happen three to five times per lesson. The following year, when she changed instruments, she said the touching continued and was more frequent. She said Rash would touch her thigh to keep count while playing, and at times, would leave his hand on her leg.
Another former student also reported the same type of touching. She said in sixth grade, when she had lessons with two other students, “nothing bad happened” and she was excited to return in seventh grade, for the 2017-18 school year. When she began taking private lessons, she said she began to “dread” them because of how close she had to sit to Rash. She said he would be “conducting weirdly” and touching her – sometimes guiding her legs and hips into position, and brushing her breasts. She said Rash would not correct her posture during larger group classes, only during lessons. The touching, she said, would occur up to three times a lesson. The former student also told investigators about “strange moments” with Rash – comments he made about the girls’ clothing and complimenting them on their swim wear.
Another woman, 25, spoke with investigators about her sixth and seventh-grade band experience from 2009-11.
She said she read about other students’ allegations in the news and it brought back similar memories of her time with Rash.
She said while conducting, “the back of his hand would touch you” and she recalled sitting as far back in her seat as possible to avoid his touches, which she clarified were taps on her breasts. During private lessons, she said Rash would keep the beat by tapping her thigh.
A fourth woman, 18, described Rash swearing at students, throwing pencils and then bribing them with cookies not to tell. She said that as a student, Rash would give her “good job” touches on the leg and also touch her waist or shoulders.
She also told investigators about a band trip to Wisconsin Dells, when Rash told her that her swimsuit made her “look good” and him also commenting that the girls were “not showing enough skin.”
If convicted of the Class C felonies on each of the nine counts in the three separate cases, Rash faces up to 40 years in prison and a $100,000 fine for each.
