Former music instructor charged with convincing 17-year old girl to strip while singing to enhance her vocal range
The News Tribune
January 3, 2012
A former Tacoma Community College music instructor will be in court next month to answer charges that he convinced one of his voice students she could reach lower octaves if she took off her clothes or did sex acts while singing.
Kevin Gausepohl, 37, is charged in Tacoma Municipal Court with seven counts of communicating with a minor for immoral purposes and one count of obstructing a law enforcement officer. The charges are misdemeanors.
Gausepohl allegedly told a Gig Harbor High School student he was conducting a study on how sexual arousal affects vocal ranges. The girl, 17 at the time, was attending the college as part of the Running Start program.
She complied with some of his requests to strip naked or touch herself during private voice lessons at the college, court records show. Other students told investigators Gausepohl approached them about being part of the study, court records show. They declined.
Gausepohl resigned in October after college administrators launched an internal investigation into his conduct.The investigation, conducted by a private agency, concluded Gausepohl “more likely than not” violated college policies on sexual harassment and discrimination.