Former teacher cleared of molestation allegations
GONZALES — A jury found a former Ascension Catholic High School teacher and basketball coach innocent of three counts of molestation of a juvenile, attorneys said.
The jury of five men and one woman took about 25 minutes to return the unanimous verdict clearing Willie J. Depron, 31, of White Castle and formerly of Donaldsonville, of the charges Friday evening, his defense attorney said.
The verdict followed a two-day trial that began Thursday before Judge Alvin Turner Jr. of the 23rd Judicial District Court. The jury was selected last month but the trial was delayed due to health issues arising with Depron’s defense attorney.
Depron had been accused of inappropriate behavior in 2009 with three girls then ages 13 or 14 while teaching at the Donaldsonville parochial school, prosecutors have said.
Assistant District Attorney Larry Buquoi said he was a little surprised by the verdict but said prosecutors were able to get in all the evidence they had.
“All the victims presented themselves well. The police did a good job. I just feel like the jurors felt there probably wasn’t enough evidence,” said Buquoi, who prosecuted the case.
Defense attorney Chad Brown said prosecutors did not have any physical evidence tying his client to the allegations and said jurors did not find the statements of the three victims credible.
He noted one teen, whom prosecutors had said was the best friend of two the alleged victims, testified for Depron and questioned how well their testimony could be trusted.
Brown said other character witnesses took the stand for Depron.
The defendant himself took the stand also and denied the allegations before jurors.
Depron said in a post-trial interview that sometimes young people don’t want to take back what they have said. But he did not have an answer for why the students would make the allegations about him.
“Why? I don’t know,” he said.
Sheriff’s deputies arrested Depron in February 2010. He initially was put on leave at Ascension Catholic, but later dismissed, Depron said. He had lived in Donaldsonville at the time of his arrest.
Depron said he taught social studies and physical education and was head basketball coach at the school.
Depron also said in the interview he has been unable to get a job for two years because of the pending charges, so he went back to college to seek a higher degree.