RAPID CITY, S.D. – The certification of a former Rapid City High School cross country coach has been revoked after students claimed he touched them inappropriately during massages.
The South Dakota Department of Education revoked the teaching certificate of Thad Caldwell as of January 20th.
South Dakota’s restricted definition of sexual contact prevented authorities form filing charges but lawmakers are working to revise the law to allow for future prosecution of such cases.
Five students came forward to accuse Caldwell of massaging them inappropriately in motel rooms during trips to cross country matches.
He resigned shortly after the allegations came to light in 2020.
Caldwell began his coaching career in 1991 at Midland High School, where his duties included
football, boys basketball, and track. After three seasons in Midland, he spent the 1994 school year as a hall director at Northern State University, while pursuing a master’s degree in Business
Education.
In 1995 he moved to Rapid City, where he taught for 17 years at Dakota Middle School. While there he coached middle school girls and boys basketball, volleyball, track, and cross country.
He became one of Rapid City Central’s assistant track coaches in 2000. He became Central’s head cross country coach in 2012 after being an assistant for six years.
