Former Wisconsin high school coach charged with sexual assault on student swimmer

Marissa Thompson, a former assistant swim coach at Menomonie High School in Menomonie, Wisconsin has been sexual assault after allegations she had a sexual relationship with an underage swimmer.

Thompson, 20 years old, was arrested in January and accused of having a sexual relationship with one of her swimmers, a 17-year-old boy, according to WEAU.com.

WEAU reported Thursday that Thompson was officially charged with sexual assault. The news outlet also reported that Thompson admitted to investigators that she did have sex with the swimmer.

Thompson was a college student at the University of Wisconsin – Stout at the time. The first WEAU report indicates that she withdrew from the school when the sexual abuse allegations first came out. Thompson also resigned from her coaching position that week, citing personal reasons.

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Swimbob
9 years ago

Rape is rape — right? #slipperyslope

Lazy Observer
9 years ago

It isn’t just the age difference, it is her position of responsibility. And yes, a 20-year-old coach should have sufficient maturity to wait one year until he is 18 and off her team if the feelings are mutual.

Also, not as a rebuttal, but as an FYI, it is “for all intents and purposes.”

WOW
9 years ago

I suppose the age of consent in Wisconsin is 18 then and not 17 like most other states.

Base on the ages, it was either a Junior and College Soph or a Senior and College Sopho/Junior most likely. This is just dumb. Consensual relationship it appears but just because she is the kids coach, she is a sexual predator???? Really?????

How is this really any different than Kukors and Sean H…..ya ya ya age of consent whatever, no different. When your 17 you are considered an adult for all intensive purpose. Sure you can go get killed fighting for this country but no you can’t decide who you can hook up with….garbage.

junker23
9 years ago

I mean, I know the power dynamics at play here make any coach-athlete sexual contact pretty off-limits…

…but this is the first one of these where reading the words “sexual assault” seem almost out of place. Like, what year in college was she? Given the three year age difference, the two of ’em were probably in high school at the same time.

I dunno. On one hand, I’m staring at a slippery-slope and wondering if making concessions here open up wiggle room in other, much more grotesque and egregious cases. But on the other hand I’m just kinda like, neither of ’em could legally go to a bar, ya know?

ohioswimmer
Reply to  junker23
9 years ago

I get what you are saying. These relationships go on all the time. Sophomore and senior date in High School. Senior turns 18 and graduates, and suddenly the relationship becomes illegal. They keep dating because that is what young people do. The older party is at risk for being arrested for statutory rape. Happens all the time and no one does anything about it. I have friends who had this type of situation who are married to this day.

Unfortunately she was in a position of authority as a coach employed by the school district, making the relationship more inappropriate in the eyes of the authorities (and probably the kids parents). It makes it more inappropriate in my eyes, as… Read more »

About Jared Anderson

Jared Anderson

Jared Anderson swam for nearly twenty years. Then, Jared Anderson stopped swimming and started writing about swimming. He's not sick of swimming yet. Swimming might be sick of him, though. Jared was a YMCA and high school swimmer in northern Minnesota, and spent his college years swimming breaststroke and occasionally pretending …

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