A former Interlochen Center for the Arts staffer was forced out of his current job last month at a North Carolina university following a sexual misconduct investigation.
Appalachian State University said in a news release Thursday, Aug. 6, that a recent investigation of its music school's director of bands, John Stanley Ross, found "a sustained pattern of alleged sexual misconduct." The investigation began in February after the university received an allegation. Appalachian State, in its release, did not provide details about that allegation.
But the university acknowledged previous complaints against Ross emerged twice. The most recent came eight years ago, when an Interlochen student told Appalachian State officials that Ross had sexually harassed
the student while Ross was employed at the prestigious music and arts campus in northern Michigan.
The student "made the university aware that they had reported to Interlochen that Ross sexually harassed them during Ross’s previous employment at Interlochen," the news release said.
"As the allegations did not include any activity taking place at App State or involving any App State students, the university’s staff at the time worked with the person to connect them with supportive resources."
The news comes amid the release late last month of a two-year-long investigation with stunning allegations of sexual misconduct spanning decades at Interlochen, which found 70 ex-students accused nearly 50 adults in leadership roles of sexual abuse.
A phone call and texts to Ross were not returned as of late Thursday.
Interlochen confirmed Ross worked at the school from 1992 to 2000 but could not confirm whether he was investigated as a part of Interlochen's independent probe.
In a statement to the Detroit Free Press on Thursday afternoon, Interlochen spokesperson Maureen Oleson said the school "took steps to ensure that Appalachian State University had access to information relevant to their review."
"As previously communicated, we shared the names of individuals reported to have engaged in sexual misconduct with law enforcement," according to the statement.
"To ensure that our actions in no way undermine the integrity of any law enforcement investigation or action, the report does not identify any of these individuals by name. We will continue to ensure that external authorities have access to information gathered in our investigation."
Appalachian State hired Ross in 2006, after he passed the school's criminal background check. He was an associate professor of music, teaching both graduate and undergraduate students and supervising student teachers.
The university placed Ross on leave earlier this year and barred him from campus during the investigation.
Appalachian State's investigation of Ross also found a group of their students reported allegations of sexual harassment against him in 2015. Those allegations were not substantiated at the time, according to the Thursday statement.
On June 26, the university issued Ross its notice of intent to fire him, according to the university's statement. Prior to the conclusion of the 14-day notice period required by North Carolina law, on July 8, Ross notified the university of his resignation effective the next day.
For decades at Interlochen, multiple predators felt empowered to take advantage of young people isolated in the Michigan wilderness – and leaders either did not know about the misconduct, looked the other way or swept it under the rug, according to Interlochen's investigation, published July 28. In at least one case, investigators found administrators not only helped someone accused of abuse resign, but wrote the person letters of recommendation.
Staff writer Dave Boucher contributed to this report. Contact Natalie Davies at ndavies@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Ex-Interlochen staffer forced out in NC after new investigation
