Novato High Coach Charged with Sexual Offenses with Student

Photo courtesy of Novato High School

By Bay City News Service

A Novato High School track and field coach was charged in Marin County Superior Court on Tuesday with five alleged sexual offenses against a 17-year-old girl.

Steven Deschler, 64, did not enter a plea to the charges, four of them felonies, that allegedly occurred between May 1 and June 18. His next court date is Aug. 19, Assistant Marin County District Attorney Barry Borden said.

The alleged victim recently graduated from Novato High School, Marin County sheriff’s Lt. Doug Pittman said. Her mother found evidence on her daughter’s phone of a sexual relationship between Deschler and her daughter and contacted Novato police, Pittman said.

Deschler and the alleged victim knew each other for about four years, Pittman said. Deschler was arrested July 2 at the Oakland International Airport as he exited a flight from Hawaii, Pittman said.

Deschler has been out of custody since his arrest. His attorney Gary Kauffman declined to comment on the charges and attorney David Vogelstein did not return a call for comment.