Former coach arrested in Arcata
Ex-Eureka High School coach accused of 60 counts of statutory rape
A former Eureka High School girls’ wrestling coach was arrested Monday on suspicion of 60 counts of statutory rape, according to jail reports.
As of Wednesday morning, Thomas Harlan Gowing was being held in the Humboldt County jail, according to Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Samantha Karges.
“His bail is set at $1.5M until he is arraigned,” Karges told the Times-Standard. “At that time, the judge can choose to reduce his bail amount.”
Typically, arraignments need to be held within 72 hours of the booking.
The Eureka Police Department notified the Arcata Police Department of an investigation involving Gowing, a news release posted Wednesday afternoon on the APD’s Facebook page stated. The allegations stemmed from a report from a female former Eureka High student who has since graduated and is now an adult.
“It was really through that investigation that they determined the alleged incidents took place in Arcata,” Lt. Todd Dockweiler told the TimesStandard.
The multiple counts against Gowing relate to multiple alleged incidents of “unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor,” the APD’s Facebook post states.
Dockweiler said that there is no past history of statutory rape relating to Gowing outside of Humboldt County.
Karges noted that there was no previous booking history associated with Gowing. A search of the court records confirmed there were no past charges filed locally against Gowing.
A news release shared by Eureka City Schools said that Gowing was a coach and volunteer for wrestling at Eureka High.
“Gowing has not worked in a paid or volunteer capacity in ECS
since June 2022,” the release stated.
The school district noted in the release that the safety of students was a top priority.
“The safety and wellbeing of our students is paramount,” Eureka High principal Rob Standish said in a prepared statement. “Any EHS student who may be directly or indirectly impacted by this incident is encouraged to contact the EHS Counseling Office at 707-441-0262 for support.”
Further, the district said “inappropriate relationships between minors and adults will not be tolerated. ECS supports the efforts of law enforcement to prosecute this individual to the fullest extent of the law.”
The Eureka City Schools did not respond to questions about how the district screens applicants who work directly with youth and how long Gowing had direct contact with students in the district.