A former Neuqua Valley High School teacher accused of having an inappropriate sexual relationship with a student will avoid prison time after his case was resolved Monday through a plea agreement, according to his lawyer.
Schaub sentenced to two years for grooming
56-year-old William Schaub pleaded guilty to the Class 4 felony charge of grooming in exchange for the prosecution dismissing his other two charges: one count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, a Class 1 felony, and one count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, a Class 2 felony.
“He reflected heavily on his constitutional right to trial, but after careful consideration by him and his legal team and much negotiation with the State’s Attorney’s Office, Mr. Schaub agreed to plead guilty to the lesser of the three charged offenses,” said Schaub’s lawyer, Robert Edelstein, in a statement.
With that, he was sentenced to two years in prison at 50%, which “amounts to 1 year, and was given credit for 369 days of custody for wearing the electronic monitor, while the case was pending,” Edelstein said, which means Schaub will likely spend no time in prison.
However, he is required to register as a sex offender for 10 years, and court records show he was also ordered to pay $3,594 in fines and other costs.
Texts revealed nature of teacher-student relationship
Schaub was arrested on April 3, 2025, after Neuqua Valley High School officials alerted police to an anonymous tip they received, which alleged that he was having a relationship with a 16-year-old female student.
Court documents showed the two had exchanged several inappropriate electronic messages, including one where Schaub allegedly discussed wanting to be intimate with the student.
In one message prosecutors say he sent, he wrote, “I’m having a hard time concentrating on these stupid essays. I’d rather be concentrating on kissing you some more. That was seriously wonderful.”
Other messages detailed in the documents allegedly show him appearing to urge the relationship forward when the student expressed fear of potential consequences.
“I can be your teacher and friend, and I would love that, but you know I’d like more than that,” he allegedly wrote in a message from December 2024.
Police said they also discovered evidence of physical contact between the two during that month.
In March 2025, when the allegations against Schaub emerged, the student was granted a two-year, no-contact order against the former teacher, requiring him to stay at least 100 feet away from her.
Schaub was an educator at Neuqua Valley High School for over a decade, teaching English and directing plays with the theater department.
Before becoming a teacher, he was an actor, appearing in several movies and TV shows, including “17 Again,” “Will and Grace,” and “Beverly Hills, 90210.”
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