Counselor Accused Of Abuse Is Back Milionis Returns To High School After Being Rejected For Juvenile Detention Center Job

High school counselor Steve Milionis has bounced back to his job of counseling students at Coeur d’Alene High School despite an unresolved lawsuit accusing him of past sexual misconduct.

Law enforcement officials turned down the idea of Milionis teaching in the county’s juvenile detention center, which had been the school district’s plan earlier this summer.

“Basically, we said, ‘No, we want someone else,”’ said Undersheriff Gary Cuff.

Milionis and the Wallace and Grangeville school districts are being sued by Dody Stewart, 23, of Absarokee, Mont., who says Milionis had sexual relations with her when she was a student in the Wallace School District from 1985 through 1989.

Milionis was hired by the Coeur d’Alene School District in 1990. The relationship ended in 1993, according to Stewart.

After details of the lawsuit became public last spring, Coeur d’Alene High School counselors rearranged their schedules to accommodate parents and students who did not want Milionis as their counselor.

Soon after, school officials said Milionis had asked to be transferred to an open teaching position at the juvenile detention center.

Cuff said that given the allegations against Milionis, the Sheriff’s Department did not consider the detention center “a correct setting” for Milionis.

Juveniles in detention already are an at-risk group, Cuff said.

Milionis was at high school football practice this week. He is head junior varsity football coach for Coeur d’Alene High School.

Milionis’ only comments to the media have been to deny the allegations. His attorney has advised him not to speak about the case.

Superintendent Doug Cresswell contradicted Cuff’s description of recent events. He said Milionis was keeping his counseling and coaching positions because he requested them, not because he was rejected by the juvenile detention center.

“One of the major reasons he reconsidered is his interest in coaching some high school sports,” Cresswell said.

“Our position is the same,” he added. “We did our investigation, and we found there were no improprieties on his part since he’s been employed by the Coeur d’Alene School District.”

Stewart is suing the Wallace School District for failing to investigate rumors that Milionis was dating her and allowing the sexual harassment to continue.

She is suing Grangeville School District for failing to warn Wallace School District of an alleged relationship Milionis had with a student there.

In a recently filed court statement, Grangeville school officials said that when Milionis applied for work in the Wallace School District, Wallace school officials did not call Grangeville to inquire about Milionis’ job performance.

That contradicts an affidavit from Wallace schools Superintendent Frank Bertino.

A court hearing is scheduled for Aug. 31 on Wallace School District’s request for a summary judgment to dismiss the case.

, DataTimes