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North Battleford band director named in $2M sexual assault settlement

A former student of a U.S. band teacher - who is a music director for the North Battleford Kinsmen Band – was awarded $2 million Dec. 4 in her sexual abuse civil lawsuit against a Washington school district and former band teacher Michael Alstad.
Alstad
Michael Alstad in North Battleford in 2018.

A former student of a U.S. band teacher - who is a music director for the North Battleford Kinsmen Band – was awarded $2 million Dec. 4 in her sexual abuse civil lawsuit against a Washington school district and former band teacher Michael Alstad.

According to court records, Maria Joyner, 47, was sexually abused by Michael Alstad for five to six years in Washington.

Court documents show that Alstad confessed to engaging in sexual acts with Joyner up to four times a week. The acts occurred on the school campus, on band trips, and in his home when Joyner was a student at Weatherwax High School, which is part of the Aberdeen School District No. 5 in Washington.

The large court victory was a long-time coming Joyner’s lawyer, Darrell L. Cochran told the Battlefords News-Optimist in a phone interview Dec. 8 from his Tacoma, Washington office.

“I think that now, more than ever, school districts and their insurance companies realize that the public is fed up with faculty and teachers (abusing) kids,” said Cochran.

“That number reflects society’s disdain for these types of cases.”

The win also sends the message that kids must be protected in other school districts, said Cochran.

“She (Joyner) really fought for that fight since 2007 when she contacted the schools public instruction head for the State of Washington and let them know that Alstad had abused her and was a risk to a lot of other kids.

“That is how she managed to help stop him from being a teacher here in Washington State,” he added. “Of course he got himself into Canada and no one there had the same information that Washington State did.”

Cochran said Joyner’s highest priority was raising public awareness about what a danger Alstad was to students.

“It gives her a platform for making sure kids are safe.”

The emotional and psychological toll that the years of sexual abuse had on Joyner are severe and life-altering. 

"I am doing this not only for my own need to heal but to bring attention to the tremendous injustice that happens to students when a teacher takes advantage of them like this and a district does not respond,”said Joyner in a statement to the Battlefords News-Optimist Dec. 8. “I can no longer stay silent about the profound trauma this man has inflicted on me and his other victims.  

“This is about standing up for those who have been marginalized by injustices and have not been given a voice or even acknowledgment that they were wronged, and to assure them that they did not deserve what happened to them.”

The abuse

The first encounter was in October or November of 1985 on a band trip to Spokane, Washington, admitted Alstad in court documents.

He said that in early 1990 Joyner’s parents confronted him about the relationship and it stopped briefly but about a month later they started to have their encounters at school.

“The relationship continued through her graduation in 1991,” admitted Alstad.

Alstad denied that he “groomed” Joyner and said he “fell in love” with her. He now recognizes, however, that he shouldn’t have acted on his feelings.

“I deeply regret that I did act on it.”

Court documents show that the Aberdeen School District No. 5 in Washington admitted some of Joyner’s allegations but disputed others.

Cochran said no criminal charges were laid against Alstad because the U.S. criminal statue of limitations, “unfortunately is not open long enough to handle a lot of these situations where children are sexually abused and then years later they can get to the point where they can step forward and really make the claim.”

Alstad’s Linked-in profile states he is General Manager and Director of Music for North Battleford City Kinsmen Band.

Alstad and the North Battleford City Kinsmen Band were contacted for comment. They didn’t immediately respond.

The Washington State Insurance pool for school districts will pay Joyner.