Kentucky girls basketball coach resigns after being charged with sexually abusing students
A Laurel County schools employee who also served as an assistant girls basketball coach has resigned after being charged with sexually abusing students, according to officials.
William Trevor Goodson, 31, was charged with first-degree sexual abuse, procuring or promoting the use of a minor by electronic means, unlawful transaction with a minor for illegal sexual activity and use of a minor in a sexual performance, police said. Goodson is being held in the Laurel County Detention Center on a $75,000 bond.
The Sentinel-Echo in London reported Goodson was previously listed as an assistant coach for South Laurel High School girls basketball as well as a coach for South Laurel Middle School.
The Education Professional Standards Board website said Goodson was state certified as an educator.
Laurel County Schools began an investigation of an employee after concerns of unprofessional conduct with a student were alleged, the district said in a statement. The employee was immediately placed on administrative leave. The employee has since resigned.
“All allegations of misconduct are addressed without delay and in the best interest of our students,” said the statement.
London police began an investigation after it received allegations of inappropriate behavior between Goodson and juvenile students, a news release said. He was charged after detectives found sufficient evidence to support the allegations.
Goodson is scheduled to appear in Laurel District Court on March 12 for a preliminary hearing, according to court records.
A September 2022 investigation by the Herald-Leader highlighted the problem of teacher sexual misconduct in Kentucky.
The newspaper obtained 194 cases of teachers who voluntarily surrendered or had their license revoked or suspended from 2016 to 2021. Of those, 118 — 61% — lost their license due to sexual misconduct.
House Bill 275 in the 2024 General Assembly, filed by House Education Committee Chairman James Tipton, R-Taylorsville, would strengthen a school’s ability to prevent child sexual abuse by adult staff.
It increases reporting requirements for teachers.
Teachers would also have to undergo training on appropriate boundaries between teachers and students. The current bill has been approved by the Kentucky House of Representatives but has not yet been been brought up in the Senate. A similar bill was proposed in 2023 but did not pass.
This story was originally published March 4, 2024 at 3:56 PM.
