Stephen Paul Sanders

Sources

1. Sanders denies having sex with former student, Elko Daily Free Press, May 2, 1991.
2. Sander's Appeal, Elko Daily Press, May 24, 1991.
3. Former Teacher Sentenced, Reno Gazette-Journal, December 25, 1991.
4. Jury convicts former high school teacher of child abuse, Reno Gazette-Journal, May 5, 1991.
5. Sander's trial to stay off limits to minors, Elko Daily Free Press, April 26, 1991.
6. Stephen Paul Sanders Obituary, The Daily Spectrum, May 20, 2010.

• 1. Sanders denies having sex with former student

  • 19910502
  • News article
  • Elko Daily Free Press

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  Stephen Paul Sanders denied he was a homosexual and said he had a "father-son" relationship with a student who is accusing him of sexual misconduct. The Elko High School music teacher, who is on administrative leave, took the stand yesterday afternoon and this morning in Elko District Court.

  Sanders, 39, is charged with two felony counts of committing homosexual acts with the student during 1989 and 1990 while the student was younger than 18. He faces one count of soliciting a minor to engage in infamous crimes against nature and one count of abuse of a minor resulting in substantial mental harm.

  Sanders said he introduced the student to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and, when the teen-ager said he preferred men, told him not to make decisions about his sexuality until he had a loving relationship with a female.

  Despite the student's testimony that he had "more than 50, less than 100" sexual encounters with Sanders, the teacher said that that was not true. Sanders said he never asked to have sex with the student and never "intimated" it either.

  Sanders said he introduced the student to the church because the teen was "distressed and alone." The teacher added that the church excommunicates people who engage in homosexual acts.

  Sanders, who is single, said he was engaged once and had considered marriage one other time.

  The teen-ager was a special student, Sanders said, but he had had others whom he considered "teacher's pets."

  Sanders said he bought clothes and compact discs for the student, let him use his car and made him the beneficiary of his accidental-death policy. He said he spent about $6,000 on the student over a two-year period.

  He said he had bought gifts for other students.

  Sanders called the student "unthankful" for the gifts. He said he never gave the student gifts to gain affections, but wanted the student to know it was a financial sacrifice. "I wanted him to appreciate it," Sanders said.

  District Attorney Marshall Smith asked Sanders whether he had kissed the student on the mouth, but Sanders said he only kissed him on the cheek.

  Sanders described their relationship as like a father and son. He added that he tried to help the teen-ager in his troubled relationship with his father.

  The student said during testimony Monday that he tried to commit suicide twice — in July 1989 by filling Sanders' garage with carbon monoxide fumes and in July 1990 by swallowing 27 pain relievers.

  Sanders described himself as someone who took the student under his wing. He said without his "encouragement and support" the student would have tried suicide again. But Sanders admitted he did not contact school counselors after learning about the teen's suicide attempts.

  Testimony is scheduled to continue throughout the week. Sanders remains free on $15,000 bail.

• 2. Sander's Appeal

  • 19910524
  • News article
  • Elko Daily Press

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  Stephen Paul Sanders’ attorney has appealed the conviction of the Elko High School teacher to the Nevada Supreme Court.

  In papers filed today with the Elko County Clerk’s office, David McElhinney has appealed Sanders’ conviction of one felony count of abuse of a minor resulting in substantial mental harm. On May 3, a jury convicted Sanders of the charge.

  Sanders, a music teacher who is on administrative leave, is accused of having a homosexual relationship with a former student.

  This is the second motion filed by McElhinney in an attempt to have the conviction overturned. Last week, McElhinney filed a request with the district court to hold a hearing to see if a new trial is warranted. He based his request on “jury misconduct.”

  District Judge Thomas Stringfield has not ruled on the request, saying he wants to wait for a response from District Attorney Marshall Smith.

  McElhinney said the appeal may be premature since Sanders’ conviction is not considered final because Sanders has not been sentenced and because there is no ruling on the hearing request. State law allows 30 days for an appeal to be filed once a hearing is denied, he said.

  But the Reno attorney said he was filing now because he wanted to be sure he did not run into problems with deadlines later. “I don’t want to jeopardize any of Mr. Sanders’ rights,” McElhinney said.

  Sanders’ second trial is scheduled to be held June 25-28. The trial is on a felony count of soliciting a minor to engage in infamous crimes against nature; the jury was deadlocked on that charge during the first trial. Sentencing was delayed until the conclusion of the second trial.

  McElhinney is hoping Judge Stringfield will grant his motion for a hearing and then agree to throw out the conviction. If successful, any new trial would be on both charges.

• 3. Former Teacher Sentenced

  • 19911225
  • News article
  • Reno Gazette-Journal

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  ELKO — A former teacher has been sentenced to 12 years in prison on his guilty plea to child abuse stemming from a relationship with a former student.

  Stephen Paul Sanders, 40, was sentenced Monday by District Judge Tom Stringfield, who ordered the defendant to begin serving the sentence on Friday.

  Sanders pleaded guilty to felony child abuse in September after other charges alleging he had sex with the teen were dropped.

  The formal choral director at Elko High School was accused of having a homosexual relationship with the student, a charge he denied.

  Sanders did say he gave the student gifts and money, and told the court of sharing a bed with the student while on an out-of-state music trip sponsored by the school.

• 4. Jury convicts former high school teacher of child abuse

  • 19910505
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  • Reno Gazette-Journal

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  ELKO — A former Elko High School music teacher has been convicted of one count of sexual misconduct involving a former student, but jurors in Elko District Court could not reach a verdict on a second charge.

  The jury returned late Friday to say it had found Stephen Paul Sanders, 39, guilty of one count of abuse or neglect of a child causing substantial mental harm.

  But after nine hours of deliberation, lasting until almost midnight, jurors could not reach a consensus on a count of committing an infamous crime against nature.

  District Attorney Marshall Smith said he would seek a new trial on the second count.

  Sanders, who is on administrative leave, was charged with two felony counts of committing homosexual acts with a student in 1989 and 1990.

• 5. Sander's trial to stay off limits to minors

  • 19910426
  • News article
  • Elko Daily Free Press

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  District Judge Thomas Stringfield yesterday denied a request by Stephen Paul Sanders’ attorney to open the trial of the Elko High School teacher to minors.

  Stringfield said earlier in the week that he planned to close the trial, which is scheduled to run all next week, because the subject matter was not appropriate for minors and because it is being held while school is in session. Sanders, 39, faces two felony charges relating to a sexual relationship with a male student and a count of abuse or neglect of a child less than 18 years of age.

  Sanders is suspected of sexually abusing the student from the summer of 1988 until last August, according to a complaint filed by the district attorney’s office.

  Reno attorney David McElhinney said in court paper's filed yesterday that the Sixth Amendment guaranteed a speedy and “public” trial. To close the trial “flies in the face of the defendant’s Constitutional rights,” he stated.

  McElhinney also argued that a preliminary hearing was opened to the public and many students heard the testimony then. “To now close the trial is equivalent to closing the proverbial barn door after the horse has gotten out,” he wrote.

  Stringfield said he reviewed McElhinney’s reply, but since there was no motion included, he saw no reason to change his mind.

  The district attorney’s office supported Stringfield’s actions. In court papers filed yesterday, Deputy District Attorney Cheryl Schorr-Phillips stated the exclusion is “sound discretion of the judiciary.” She also stated that condoning absences from school “is contrary to the state’s interest in educating students” and that having students there may inhibit the alleged victim’s testimony.

• 6. Stephen Paul Sanders Obituary

  • 20100520
  • News article
  • The Daily Spectrum

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  Stephen Sanders of LaVerkin, Utah, passed away on May 17, 2010 after a valiant battle with gall bladder cancer. He was born October 31, 1950 in Cedar City, Utah, the youngest child of [REDACTED].

  He attended elementary and high school in Hurricane, Utah. He completed college in Cedar City, Utah with a major in music and minor in business administration. He graduated with a bachelor of arts in Music composite. He served a mission for the LDS church in Southwest England 1969-1971. He taught music (choral) in Elko, NV for several years. The chorales took many awards under his baton. He worked the last years for K & J Steel of Washington, Utah, as the steel purchasing agent. He loved to travel and had the opportunity to travel back to his mission field in 2003 and 2008. He loved the history of old England.

  He is survived by his beloved mother, [REDACTED]; [REDACTED] Kleinman of Highland, Utah, [REDACTED] of Highland, Utah, brother, [REDACTED] of Fairfield, California. He had many nieces and nephews that he loved. He is preceded in death by his father, [REDACTED] and a sister, [REDACTED] and baby [REDACTED].

  Special thanks to the Huntsman Cancer Center staff and Dr. Derrick Haslem.

  Funeral services will be held Saturday, May 22, 2010 at 11:00 a.m. at the LaVerkin Stake Center, 481 N. Main, LaVerkin, Utah. Friends and family may call Friday, May 21, 2010 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. and Saturday, May 22, 2010 from 9:30-10:30 a.m. at the LaVerkin Stake Center. Interment will take place in the LaVerkin City Cemetery.

  Arrangements are made under the direction of Spilsbury Mortuary, St. George, UT, (435) 673-2454. Friends and family are invited to sign Stephen's guest book at www.spilsburymortuary.com.