Ferris assistant principal investigated for child molestation

Ferris High School Assistant Principal Todd Bender is under investigation for allegedly sexually molesting a teenage boy several times in 2011, according to court documents filed Thursday. Bender, who was placed on paid administrative leave Tuesday night, was a family friend of the boy, who is now 18. The teen told police that he finally told his parents and authorities about the abuse because he was afraid Bender was molesting new victims, the documents say. Bender has not been arrested, said Spokane police spokeswoman Monique Cotton. “He is not in a position to be in contact with children,” she said. The first incident allegedly took place in early 2011 at Bender’s home in North Spokane when the teen was 14. Bender allegedly gave the boy a beer to drink, then told him he should stay the night so his parents wouldn’t find out he had been drinking. The teen told police he awoke to find Bender’s hands in his pants. The victim told police that the second incident happened during a Fourth of July campout at Diamond Lake in 2011 and the third in the fall of 2011 when the boy was 15. In both cases, Bender gave the boy alcohol, according to the court documents. The teen told police that he tried to suppress what had happened until September, when his girlfriend told him that Bender had invited her 14-year-old brother to go golfing. In October the victim said he watched an episode of the television show “48 Hours” that featured two girls molested by a teacher. Those two incidents prompted him to tell his parents about the alleged abuse, according to court documents. He also told police that Bender has been repeatedly calling and texting him and has recently started calling and texting his girlfriend’s brother. Detectives have filed a search warrant seeking Bender’s cell phone records. Bender has been an assistant principal at Ferris High School for seven years. He was previously an English teacher and track coach.