What did Eric Birth do? Minnesota high school gym teacher arrested over misconduct allegations from students

On February 15, 2024, 29-year-old Eric Birth, a Winona Senior High School teacher and track coach, was taken into custody after being accused of having inappropriate relationships with multiple students.

KSTP-TV reported that the investigation into the case was initiated in June 2023 after authorities received an anonymous tip about Eric having a s*xual relationship with a former student while she was in her senior year of high school.

According to the report by KSTP-TV, Eric Birth has been charged with one count of third-degree criminal s*xual conduct using coercion and one count of third-degree criminal s*xual conduct while in a prohibited occupational relationship.

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Eric Birth allegedly took advantage of the students while they were struggling with personal issues and confided in him

FOX 9 reported that, as per court documents, Eric Birth is accused of having inappropriate s*xual relationships with three students, all aged between 16 and 18 years old, while being employed at Winona Area Public Schools. Authorities stated that all three victims mentioned that they were struggling with personal issues at the time of the alleged misconduct and confided in him.

KSTP-TV reported that after receiving the anonymous tip when authorities contacted the former student, she denied having any relationship with Eric other than him being her track coach, which led to the closure of the case. However, in early January 2024, the victim reached out to authorities and said that she lied in their initial conversation. On January 3, 2024, the victim told investigators that the 29-year-old first started a Snapchat group with her and other girls who were training for the upcoming track season. Later, he left the Snapchat group and provided her and the other girls with his number so that they could communicate via text.

According to the report by KSTP-TV, the former student, who is only identified as Victim #1 in the complaint, informed authorities that she was having personal issues and confided in Eric Birth about them. On April 24, 2022, shortly before 9:30 p.m., she was texting him while driving, for which she got pulled over and cited for using her device while driving. Following that, they met and talked in her vehicle. Victim #1, who was 18 years old at the time, told authorities that Eric kissed her, which made her feel uncomfortable. However, it escalated into a s*xual act. The victim mentioned that she declined Eric's further advances, but he continued with his attempts to persuade her to have a relationship with him over the following week or two.

The report by KSTP-TV stated that on Jan. 18, 2024, a second victim came forward and informed authorities about having a relationship with Eric Birth while being a student at Winona Senior High School. The student, regarded as Victim #2 in the criminal complaint, had a similar story to the first victim and also confided in Eric while dealing with personal issues. Their relationship turned s*xual in the summer of 2016 and persisted into the fall when she was a 16-year-old junior at Winona Senior High School.

The outlet reported that on January 31, 2024, a third victim contacted authorities and informed them that she shared a s*xual relationship with Eric Birth in April and May of 2017 while she was a 17-year-old student at Winona Senior High School. Victim #3 also confided in the track coach over personal issues. She also mentioned that the accused reached out to her and warned that she would probably be contacted by the school about their relationship.

Two witnesses, formerly part of the Winona Senior High School track team, said that they had seen a video of a s*xual act involving Victim #3 and Eric. They reported having seen the video on Eric's phone while using it to take a picture of themselves. Victim #3 reportedly did not know that such a video existed.

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Eric Birth was placed on administrative leave in January 2024

FOX 9 reported that at the beginning of January 2024, Eric Birth was placed on administrative leave. The Winona Area Public Schools issued a statement addressing the issue that read,

"We understand that this news may be shocking and concerning to our school community. Please know that all school district employees are subject to a thorough background check before being hired, and are also required to complete training to reinforce policy, procedure, and our legal requirements as mandatory reporters. The safety of our students is a top priority. We are grateful for the efforts of the Winona Police Department and the strong partnership we have with local law enforcement."

KSTP-TV reported that if convicted on either criminal s*xual conduct charges, Eric Birth can face up to 15 years in prison.