A former instructor at Kuemper Catholic School Systems was arrested Wednesday afternoon and is facing a felony sexual misconduct charge for engaging in a sexual relationship with an 18-year-old student. Twenty-three-year-old Shawn William Vaske of Carroll was hired as an associate instructor of theology for the high school in March of 2017, but was terminated this past Tuesday. Kuemper President, John Steffes, distributed a press release following Vaske’s arrest, saying that High School Principal, Pete Haefs, was notified by a staff member on Friday, Dec. 14 about the sexual misconduct allegations. The authorities were contacted and an investigation was opened immediately. Vaske met with a detective with the Carroll Police Department on Monday, Dec. 17 and was suspended following that meeting. “Kuemper Catholic School has a zero tolerance policy for misconduct by our staff and remains committed to providing an excellent education for our students in a safe environment,” Steffes says in the press release. A criminal complaint filed by the police department alleges that Vaske maintained a sexual relationship with the 18-year-old student from December 2017 through June 2018. He is accused of engaging in sex acts with the student multiple times at his residence. Vaske was booked into the Carroll County jail Wednesday on a $5,000 cash bond. If he is found guilty of the class D felony, he could face up to five years in prison and $7,500 in fines.
