Sexual Misconduct Trial Set To Begin For Former Shawnee Athletic Director

former Shawnee High School Athletic Director Ron Arthur is accused of sexual misconduct with students and investigators say abuse allegations span more than a decade.

Monday, November 13th 2023, 7:00 am

By: Addie Crawford

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The trial for the former Shawnee High School Athletic Director is set to begin.

Ron Arthur is accused of sexual misconduct with students and investigators say abuse allegations span more than a decade.

In 2018 there was a Title 9 investigation into Arthur’s behavior and he was suspended several times between 2007 and 2008.

"This wasn't a first offense. It was multiple offenses that spread over a 15-year period," said Oklahoma Senator Shane Jett in 2022.

A former student told News 9 he and his teammates were approached by school board members about Arthur and told to keep quiet.

"They told us to not talk about it. Not tell anybody what was going on," said the former student.

Investigators said text messages on Arthur’s phone confirmed to them that he had multiple victims.

"Seeing the text messages I have seen, it made me physically sick to my stomach," said Amber Soule with the Pottawatomie County Sheriff's Office.

In 2022, prosecutors dropped rape and forcible sodomy charges but the soliciting sexual contact with a minor through technology charge remains.

The trial starts at 10 am.

Addie Crawford

Addie Crawford is a multimedia journalist for News 9. She joined the News 9 morning team in January of 2023 after interning and reporting part-time while studying at the University of Oklahoma. Addie has a passion for storytelling and loves to meet new people in the Oklahoma City community.