Former Monroe High teacher charged with sexual misconduct

MONROE — A former Monroe High School teacher manipulated former and current students into having sex with him since at least 2017, according to charges filed Monday in Snohomish County Superior Court.

Giles Stanton, 53, faces two counts of first-degree sexual misconduct with a minor. The charges stem from a sexual relationship the English teacher had with a student in 2017.

Prosecutors identified at least two other current and former students they believe Stanton had sexual relationships with, according to court documents.

State law defines sexual misconduct as a person having sexual intercourse with another person who is at least five years younger and over the age of 16 but under the age of 18. The perpetrator must “abuse a supervisory position,” like a school employee or a foster parent.

In November 2021, the Monroe Police Department received a referral from Child Protective Services. A client had disclosed details to her therapist about a sexual relationship with Stanton in 2017, while she was a student at the school. The student reported she was not ready to discuss the abuse with police, but alluded to the possibility of disclosing it in the future, the charges say.

Police reviewed emails Stanton sent from his work computer. Detectives found a “concerning” amount of communication between Stanton and current and former students. The emails indicated Stanton was in a sexual relationship with a former student about a year after her graduation.

In December 2023, police suspected Stanton of abusing a current student, according to the charges. The student had written multiple entries in the notes section of her iCloud account about being in an ongoing sexual relationship with Stanton.

The notes reportedly said Stanton would assault her during the early morning hours in school, according to the charges. In security footage, Stanton would let the student into his classroom in the early morning, well before school started. The footage doesn’t show abuse. In a police interview, the student denied the sexual relationship, reporting her notes were just fantasies, court documents said.

On Feb. 15, school officials placed Stanton on administrative leave. Prosecutors have not charged Stanton for allegations involving the current student.

In a police interview, Stanton acknowledged having relationships with former students, reflecting that “he felt a bit like Bill Clinton,” according to the charges. He claimed all the students reached out to him.

Detectives asked Stanton about the allegations from 2017.

“I don’t know if you’re recognizing a pattern,” Stanton said. “They’re all kind of me making the wrong decision. In, in, in a time of terrible, uh, how can I say — I’m not going to finish the sentence, because now it sounds like I’m trying to get pity or something from you.”

This spring, the former student agreed to an interview with police. She described the defendant grooming her since she was a freshman at Monroe High School. She said Stanton would show her special attention, taking her out of class and reading her love poems by Pablo Neruda, the charges say.

The former student said the sexual abuse began in 2017 when she was enrolled in Stanton’s AP English class. The summer before her senior year, Stanton assigned “Lolita” by Vladimir Nabokov. The novel centers on a literature professor’s infatuation with a preteen girl. The young woman reported to detectives he would type letters to put in the book and give to her at school, according to a police report.

While Stanton’s girlfriend was away in Europe, he invited the student to his house. He tried to have sex with her, but she declined. Shortly after, he sexually abused her. The abuse continued for months before she ended the relationship.

The student reported the repeated assaults made her require medical attention, court documents said. When she told Stanton, he treated her with disdain and had a “cruel reaction,” the charges say.

Prosecutors requested $250,000 bail, arguing Stanton repeatedly abused the trust placed in him as a teacher.

“He selects students who are particularly vulnerable to his advances due to underlying trauma and issues in their home lives, of which he is aware,” deputy prosecutor Julia Hartnell wrote. “He then manipulates these students into believing that they are in love with him and into engaging in a sexual relationship with him.”

On June 26, the day after police arrested him, Stanton posted $250,000 bond and was released from jail. He is set to be arraigned next month.

Jonathan Tall: 425-339-3486; jonathan.tall@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @snocojon.