Track Coach Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Teens

A track coach at a high school in San Jose is facing two dozen felony counts for allegedly sexually assaulting teens at another school in San Jose more than a decade ago.

“I think it’s horrible,” said former Branham High School student Connor Moore.

Gregory Marshall, a coach at Branham and owner of Marshall Sports Performance and Fitness, was arrested on Thursday by the department’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force / Child Exploitation Detail.

Marshall was arrested following an investigation into his time teaching at Valley Christian High School in 2004 and 2005. Police said Marshall sexually assaulted two victims, who were both 17-years-old at the time, in his classroom.

He was a track and basketball coach at Valley High when the allegations surfaced. A Valley High spokesperson said it was school staff who notified police of the alleged sexual assault in 2006. At the time, they said they knew of only one victim and sent parents a letter explaining Marshall had been put on paid leave pending the investigation.

However, because of lack of evidence, the case went nowhere. Although Marshall never returned to Valley Christian, he was hired at Branham High School. The principal sent a letter to parents Friday about Marshall’s arrest and added he had successfully passed a background check.

“A lot of people were talking about it, some people were shocked,” said Branham High student Eilon Presman.

Police said the more than decades-old investigation was reopened when a second alleged victim came forward last spring. A police spokesperson told KPIX 5 they now have new evidence against Marshall.

His arrest comes the same week another San Jose teacher was arrested for a similar act. Ricardo Chavarria was a Spanish teacher at Pioneer High School when investigators said he sexually assaulted a student inside his classroom late last year.

Marshall, 56, is facing 12 counts of sexual penetration with a minor and 12 counts of oral copulation with a minor, all felonies.

Marshall is currently being held at the Elmwood Correctional Facility in Milpitas on $435,000 bail, according to jail records.

Anyone with information about the case or similar incidents is being asked to contact Detective Mike O’Grady or Detective Sergeant Sean Pierce at 408-537-1397. Tips can also be sent anonymously through Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers at 408-947-7867 or online at http://svcrimestoppers.org.