Teacher removed from school during 'misconduct' investigation
SHERWOOD, Ore. – A Sherwood High School teacher was put on administrative leave on Monday after the district learned she was being investigated for alleged sexual contact with a student.
The teacher's name is Denise Keesee, according to Sgt. Bob Ray with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
Ray said they are investigating reports that Keesee had some kind of sexual contact with at least one student. They also want to hear from anyone else who has information about the case.
He said they first got word of the allegations about a month ago from the Department of Human Services. On Monday, investigators determined it necessary to contact the school district and Keesee was immediately put on administrative leave.
Ray said investigators escorted Keesee out of school and questioned her.
Michelle DeBoard, the human resources director for the district, said Keesee has been at the high school since 2006.
“The district responded immediately and removed the teacher from school,” DeBoard said.
A KATU reporter tried to speak with Keesee at her home on Friday morning. We heard people in the home, but nobody answered the door.
So far no formal charges have been filed.
Keesee's husband works at the Sherwood Police Department and is the school's resource officer. He has not been connected to the investigation and the state agency that licenses police officers told KATU he has a clean record.
One neighbor we talked with on Friday said she was surprised by the allegation.
"They've just been a lovely family," said Dorothy Orth. "I can't believe it that there would be anything there."
Do you live in Sherwood and have information about the investigation? E-mail newstips@katu.com
KATU reporters Thom Jensen and Valerie Hurst contributed to this report
"misconduct" seem likes such a light word for sexual abuse.
This teacher cannot have "sexual contact" with any student. Legally.She is being criminally investigated for full on child rape.Â
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Just to be legally crystal clear here.Â
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Just another Oregon teacher choosing to (allegedly) rape a child while pretending to be a professionally behaving educator. Oh what intentional child predators these Oregon teachers turn out to be - time and time again. Like Catholic Priests. Like Boy Scout Leaders, too.
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Securing positions of authority over children with the clear intent to .... fill in the blank for yourselves, people. Â
No comment until we see the Hard Evidence!
So when she earned a degree and solicited a job as a PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER she thought what?Â
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Ah, hah - I am a predatory child sex abuser and now I have access to minors And the power to wield over them - any criminal intention or demand any predatory desire I want.Â
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And of course public school minor aged children in her power and control will comply. Or else.Â
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Nice going, hon. I feel real good about the public' tax monies going out to you - just so you could plot and plan and engage in criminal activities - through your professional contractual work duties. As a "teacher". Â YUCK!
I wish this chick woulda been my math teacher!
My feeling here is that Sherwood High School as a whole, is not so great. Reading through these posts (yes i am bored at work) I can't help but see all the past and present students whose posts are jumbled pieces of poor grammar, botched sentences, and pretty ridiculous things to say. It's like English is your second language! I hardly think you get to decide if you think she did this based on your grade in her class, @aubreeSwartz "we are exposed to be learning" ... are you kidding me?? I didn't go to a great school but one huge thing I learned is that if you butcher the English language, can't spell, and are ignorant.. no one will EVER take you seriously.. EVER. Sherwood is clearly ready for some new teachers if this is how their students are turning out.
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I also have to say that whoever is hiding behind "opinion123", you're a MESS. Put down your iphone, tablets, and computers, turn off Jersey Shore and the Kardash-whoevers, and READ A BOOK... actually you should probably read the dictionary. Study something, learn something new, go outside, and stop being so hostile. We don't call people "whores" that's not OK... I'm worried about you.
 @Mr.Q  @aubreeSwartzÂ
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Poor education as reflected in grammar slices across this country irrespective of public institutional system. That is why this nation ranks 23rd. among world nations in education...and likely why this country pays the most for a broken inequitable health care system and demagogues and intellectual charlatans like O'Reiley, Limbaugh, and Beck find so much support.
Apparently there is more than one student, most graduated already. Some won't come forward . This is a rumor that has been out there with all the students for a while and it just came out. If she is innocent, I feel real bad cause she's pretty much ruined regardless. If your kid goes to Sherwood, ask them about it...Â
I don't believe it either; don't people have anything better to do than start rumors and start a witch hunt?
Maybe some student, or his mother was upset because he did not receive a good grade in her class...or there could be all kinds of manipulative reasons someone could concoct this. I hope a thorough investigation occurs and hearsay and rumor are not considered hard evidence.
I have had the privilege to be in Keesee's class. I do have to say she is a flirt to the male students in the class. In my opinion i do think she needs to be fired. She dresses inappropriate, wearing short skirts and tight tops. She also loved to show off her tattoo's. We are expose to be learning but instead she is on her phone texting other students. She would share with the class. She would also pick favorites in the class. You bet they were mostly male. She did not like me in her class. So what she did is the FAILED me. I do believe this happened. We also need to keep an open mind because we don't know the whole story yet. Thanks for reading.Â
 @AubreeSwartz Guuurll first off your English is horrible did you only take the online classes at school? With out a doubt she was trying too hard in looking provocative or she was just flaunting what she had, though she has a kid(not to mentioned married to a cop) and I would think that even for a highschooler that would be tough thing to ignore in making a decision to get involved with some one. Unless she is some kind of enchantress, or as I remember the kids in her classes where if not the special ED kids were the generally the "trouble kids" group who could have been manipulating her into this situation but is a jackass and can't keep the things he got to himself that's just me theorycrafting that , kinda like a erotic novel gone wrong kinda IMO. But hey haven't heard anything new about this. Personally this is kinda funny to me that something like this occurred at that school.
Good thing that she only used her phone after giving a lesson or while people were working. To me it just sounds that you're butt hurt about failing her class.
 @Andrewjs1 Also I forgot to mention that 90% of the time the students will text her first.
she probably failed you because you're not too bright!
 @AubreeSwartz "I do believe this happened. We also need to keep an open mind because we don't know the whole story yet."
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Nice job keeping the contradictions grouped together. Im racking my brain to figure out how someone could possibly not like you.
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WOW, if any of your assignments involved writing, she failed you for that reason ! Maybe the swartz wasn't with you ????
 @AubreeSwartz Just sayin, but from the grammar in your post, I'm wondering if she was attempting to teach you English.
@oodathunked @sargerator - Keesee also taught students with learning disabilities, who receieved spec Ed, etc.
 @BH  @oodathunked  @sargerator That statement holds no validity to this scenario at all.
I have to totally agree with marinerfan. Katu reporter Thom went so far to question her neighbors, which probably had no clue to this story. He went to the school to get feed back from students. Katu plastered a photo of this teacher in a strapless dress standing in front of booze bottles.....this is just low life journalism.   What exactly, Thom, is sexual contact? Some unpopular high school boy, who's peers are boasting about their cheerleader girlfriends....so he makes up a fantasy about a pretty math teacher....is that sexual contact? Thom, I am sure you are totally aware, that any time there is a report made to human services, they are required by law to investigate. This teacher did not warrant this story and Katu should be ashamed of itself.....BTW, if you need ratings or a story to run, How is the police officer fighting for his life? What was the court out-come for the DUII driver who's truck hung over the freeway? Where is the follow up on that couple claiming the bank has foreclosed on them illegally? How is that little girl in Washington that broke her back? Guess those stories are history so time to destroy some woman's character and standing??? BRAVOÂ
 @Tyler Van Pelt Yet it if had been a male teacher who had a photo "in a strapless dress standing in front of booze bottles" who had purported "sexual contact" with a student people would be calling for his head on a platter.
I live in Sherwood, Oregon and as a previous student of Mrs. Keesee's classes I can say that I don't believe any of this. She has got to be the best teacher that I had ever had out of the possible hundreds. Never have I felt safer and more open to say what was on my mind without question in her class room.
I have lost all respect for KATU for the way they have handled this "story'. I cannot believe that this teacher's face is plastered on their website for all the world to see before a single charge has been filed. To me this is irresponsible journalism. Than, on the news tonight (wanted to see how they would play it ) they interview some kid who says " I never had her for a teacher but I can see her doing something like this." What a tool! Doing something like what? This whole thing is character assassination until any proof has been presented. I understand the school district having to do something immediately when the allegations surfaced -and they did it. If and when any smoke turns to fire, than that will be the appropriate time to vent.
 @marinerfan I know both of the people who were interviewed. Jonathon should never have been interviewed.
Its the job of the police and media  to destroy a persons life then apologize later.
 @RandyH Very true.
I have never heard of the Police or the News ever saying they are sorry. Have you? Usaully what happens if the person is cleared they only print or say charges where dropped. But I have never heard I'm sorry for running a person through the mudd. I wait for the charges then to see if they Plead guilty or not. Now if she is later found guilty then fine, but if there is no charges then I think an Apologize is in order.
They will usually apologies with many "grants" & "Benjamins"
So this teacher hasn't been charged with anything, hasn't been arrested yet, but we are splattering her name and picture all over the news? Â Of course, if she's found innocent, that story won't be featured nearly as prominently.
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The media needs to stop with this guilty before proven innocent attitude. Â Who knows how many lives are ruined because of this behavior.
So a few months ago I heard from a high school boy that she had sent nudes to one of his classmates and he was showing it off. I don't go to the high school anymore so I wouldn't known, but I honestly wasn't surprised to hear this because of all the things I have heard from guys. I don't think this is a rumor.Â
@Madk I heard the same rumor a while ago and more now that the kids feel like they can talk..I'm guessing if law enforcement can establish how many kids saw the photo/s or received the texts then there would be multiple charges.
 @Madk Right, 'cause high school guys NEVER spread rumors about hot teachers.
 @Playanekes well if a guy has evidence then he can show it. I've heard it from girls too.
 @opinion123 you are obviously embarrassing yourself, you have no sense of grammer, spelling, or proper english. You, at this point, have just resorted to spitting out the first lame, laughable, pathetic insults that pop into your head, and quite frankly, your annoying. I respect the fact that you like your teacher, but you don't know all the facts either, and if you don't like what people are saying here then why have you made like 15 comments over the last 15 hours. I think you put it best when you said... GET A LIFE! or a hobby, or a job, or some friends, whichever you prefer. But again, to emphasize on my real point... you are embarrassing
 @Michael Wolfe I never believe that the person commenting is the person pictured in their profile on a site like this. I can make stuff up and grab a random picture from the web to "back it up". It doesn't mean anything. And blonde hair? It's not showing in that picture, perhaps it's time to update that bad boy
@Michael Wolfe ya girlfriend... you mean ugly whores! ur probably a poor worthlesss man who lives life on his ego .
@Michael Wolfe Ha, "a legend in his own mind" !
@opinion123 @michaelwolfe That's why I have 2 very attractive girlfriends in the picture & am 6"3" tall with Blonde hair, blue eyes & am in extremely good shape @ 207lbs. active in multiple sports. You are probably a Oregonian as I described above. Ps. Learn how to actually spell your insults and quite incorrect/inaccurate comments. What a Putz!
I'm sure if they had Photos sent to a High School studant from a Teacher then she would already be arrested.
your so immiture and you talk about her not being attractive uhhhh look in a mirror there ewwwww i am sorry for the face and body you were given @michaelwolfeÂ
@Madk @Playanekes
First off that is NOT a hot teacher! Maybe a hot teacher due to the lower bar here in Oregon, but is a 5 or 6 in California (where fat & muffin top are NOT celebrated and shown off with belly shirts!).
This teacher is from my high school, it humors me because she always looked like she wasnt follow the dress code all the time. The funny thing is her family according to her homepage on the school site is what she cares about...Â
This is a woman of extreme integrity. In America you are innocent until proven guilty but this story and many of these comments don't seem to understand that. This family is kind, honest and theey care greatly about young adults. Give them the rights they have in this country and ask yourself how you or a friend would want to be treated if this situation of "alleged" misconduct was on you!
Where were these teachers when I was in high school?
 @deejm2112 They were with me. :)
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Hells yeah! Apparently somebody's not doing their homework...very sad...I provide individualized studying and tutoring off- site at very reasonable rates.Â
I'll wait to formulate my opinion on this matter! Remember the teacher in Clatsop County that was smeared across the media only to be cleared with NO indictment......More of the allegations involving sex crimes by children/teens are false than are true.
@FreerideNOT Not so. And where does your faulty conclusion come from? Actually accusations involving children are quite high. The older the victim gets, the lower the credibility becomes, in my expieriance and opinion. But I too will withhold opinion on this case, as I have seen inuendos cast at teachers by mean spirited people. The school has to act to provide protection for the children. They are between the rock and the hard spot. and protection must be provided right away. When there is an arrest there may be more to go on here.
@Brownknight Faulty Conclusion.....think I pointed out one in Oregon, however it appears as though you cannot read nor comprehend. I realise that your access to some information may be quite limited but there are many that contact law enforcement regarding "sexual abuse" that are unfounded before they make it to the DA and many of those that do make it to the DA are also unfounded after further investigation........The media makes revelations for ratings and do not concern themselves with facts and seldom clear the air once the true facts are known.......After all the media has a degree of immunity unless it can be shown that there was a reckless disregard.........
 @FreerideNOTÂ
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Yes, I suspect there is something going on...or not... at home. Could just be a case of her husband trying to set-her-up for a cheep quicky divorce. No matter how this shakes out; her home life was certainly unsatisfying.