Clatsop County Basketball Coach Accused of Sexual Harassment

Reports Claim Shannon Wood “Falsely Accuses” Others
and DA Ron Brown Tries to Extort $12,000.00 for a Lesser Charge

By Edward Snook
Investigative Reporter

Jewell, OR – Dave Samuelson has been falsely charged with crimes by Clatsop County District Attorney Ron Brown and is fighting, not only for his freedom but to save what is left of his reputation – which in today’s socially-connected world is a priceless commodity.

Dave Samuelson giving pointers to a young team

Former Jewell varsity basketball coach Dave Samuelson was born and raised in Clatsop County, Oregon, where he still resides today. Samuelson is well-known and liked by many in the small, quaint community of Jewell. He and his wife Ann have done much for their community throughout the years.

Aside from formerly coaching varsity basketball, Samuelson served on the Jewell School Board for eleven years, volunteered as a 4-H leader and at community events supporting the school for many years. Currently, he is a self-employed logging truck driver.

According to a reputable friend of Samuelson’s, he is known as a, “supportive member of the Jewell community, especially stepping up when the kids and school needed help in countless aspects.”

In October of 2018, Shannon Wood applied for the assistant boys’ basketball coach position and was hired by the Jewell School Athletic Director. According to Samuelson, the decision to bring Wood onto the team has, “almost ruined my life.” Samuelson is currently facing ten Class A Misdemeanors, which equates to ten years in prison if found guilty, because of the “false allegations” leveled against him by Wood.

Shannon Wood and Dave Samuelson giving an award. That student went on to say: “…I don’t know why you’re not coach anymore … but I promise that I will fight for you. I’m with you, you made me fall in love with the sport – you made me love it so if you’re out I’m out. I will do whatever it takes to make you coach…”

Wood’s son and Samuelson’s grandson, who he has custody of, were close friends. This helped build the relationship between Wood and Samuelson’s family. Shannon Wood was “treated like a daughter by me and my wife, Ann,” according to Samuelson. Wood and her family would hang out at the Samuelson’s home quite often.

After two years of coaching little kids’ basketball and varsity basketball together, Samuelson was approached by a student athlete’s parent with damning news about Shannon Wood. Samuelson was told that Wood had possibly been, “having an affair with Brian Meier, and that they stayed in the same hotel at an out-of-town school volleyball tournament, and the kids were all talking about it.”

On September 24, 2019 just one day after a student’s parent told Samuelson about their concern regarding Shannon Wood’s possible indiscretion, Samuelson informed Steve Phillips, Jewell’s school Superintendent. Then, on September 27, 2019 just three days later, Shannon Wood, “retaliated against Dave” and contacted the sheriff’s department with allegations that he had sexually harassed her. According to the police report, Wood claimed Dave Samuelson had, “repeatedly grabbed her butt and made lewd comments to her.” Wood’s criminal report also mentioned that Samuelson was allegedly stalking her, and Wood made the claim he had “attempted to kiss” her around August of 2018 – which is over a full year before she brought the allegations to the police.

When questioned by Deputy Moore, Samuelson said that his relationship with Shannon Wood was like a father-daughter type. Samuelson claimed Wood had told him she loved him on numerous occasions. To Samuelson, his relationship with Wood was never sexual in nature. She was “Coach” to him, and their relationship was familial.

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In a letter Wood delivered to Samuelson on February 8, 2019, just seven months prior to her accusing him, Wood told Samuelson she loved him. This letter was written after the date Wood claimed Samuelson “grabbed” her butt and tried to kiss her (in her police report filed later). Shannon Wood’s letter stated, “The undoubted support I receive from you is priceless and I would not be who I am today without it. I cannot thank you enough for the love and support you have shown me since October 31, 2017. That will always be the date I will remember that changed my life… I appreciate you more than words can say… I sincerely appreciate you taking me on this wild journey and welcoming not only me but my family into yours… Love Shannon.”

In August of 2019 at the Clatsop County Fair, Samuelson attended the livestock auction to purchase a 4-H animal. Wood reportedly came and sat with him several times, was very friendly and also asked him to take one of her children home with him from the fair, to spend the night at his house.

Samuelson said, “if I committed these crimes Shannon claimed then why would she write such a wonderful letter to me – and why would she ask me to take care of her child for the night, six weeks prior to her accusations; that multiple times I stalked, sexually harassed and sexually abused her?” The truth is she would not have unless it was retaliation!

One sentence in the letter Wood wrote to Samuelson is quite concerning, especially considering her reportedly “false accusations.” Wood wrote, “thank you for dealing with all of my crazy and helping me control it.” What did she mean when she called herself crazy? Again, according to the police report, Wood claimed Samuelson was sexually harassing her long before her heart-felt letter where she said Dave Samuelson’s involvement in her life had been “priceless.”

Was Shannon Wood seeking vengeance against Samuelson because he had confidentially reported the parent concerns regarding her questionable behavior, that was affecting the students, according to the parent that reported it to him? If Samuelson had been committing the alleged crimes that Wood stated, and it really bothered her, why didn’t she go to law enforcement before September 26, 2019?

Furthermore, if he had grabbed her ass and was doing what she said, wouldn’t there be witnesses? Wouldn’t the basketball players, or bus drivers at the games have seen him doing the things Wood has accused him of? According to US~Observer sources, not one person has corroborated Wood’s “lies about Dave.”

Incompetent Law Enforcement Investigation

Deputy Eric Dotson, the main deputy involved with the investigation, wrote one of the most biased reports this writer has ever read. He clearly did not conduct an unbiased and thorough investigation of the case or Shannon Wood, the accuser – and he clearly was invested in destroying Dave Samuelson. But why?

Prior “False” Accusations by Shannon Against Other Men

It did not take the US~Observer long to uncover Shannon Wood’s disreputable past.

Ryan Wilson, who dated Wood’s sister for six years, stated that he received a newspaper article from an acquaintance of his about Shannon Wood accusing Samuelson of serious crimes. Wilson said it made him and his acquaintance upset because they knew Wood had made false sexual crime accusations before. They had also known Samuelson for many years and knew that was not his character.

Wilson stated, “She (Shannon) was like my little sister. I’m the one who introduced her to her husband, Mitch.” Wilson continued, “This isn’t the first time she’s falsely accused others, and it’s not the second time either. Her parents found out that she was having sex (when in high school) with her high school boyfriend. Well, she told her parents that he raped her. And everybody knew. I mean, even her sisters, her brothers knew it was total BS. They’d been having sex for a while and then when her parents found out she was sexually active, she claimed he forced her to. She’s always claimed that he stalked her and he doesn’t. He never stalked her. It was a total false claim that he had raped her.” Wood’s parents reportedly never turned her boyfriend into the police for “rape” and let her continue dating him. Did they disbelieve their own daughter?

Wilson talked further about how he had introduced her to her current husband. Shannon Wood, Mitch – not then her husband – and Wilson along with a few other friends got together in California. Wilson said that Wood ended up “messing around” with another guy who was a friend of Mitch, but it never went any further because that guy was not into dating her. Wilson stated that Mitch had never known about Wood messing around with their mutual friend. Several years later, Wilson mentioned it to Mitch, and Mitch ended up confronting Wood. Instead of coming clean and admitting it, Wilson claims Wood then made false allegations about him to try and play the victim. Wilson stated, “She said I had tried having sex with her. She made it sound like I was trying to force myself on her. It was very weird for her to even make that claim. She was like a little sister to me.” Wilson adamantly denied having ever done anything like that to Wood. He then stated, “She’s just trying to make these false claims against Dave to divert all the attention and make herself look like a victim… That’s what she did in high school.”

Wilson had much more to say and believes there may be other men who Wood has falsely accused over the years. The US~Observer is currently looking into other men Shannon Wood may have falsely accused.

Why didn’t Deputy Eric Dotson uncover this information? Could it be that he never really investigated the case, and he simply set out to destroy his target – Dave Samuelson? Why was Dave Samuelson’s wife not questioned by Deputy Dotson regarding these serious charges? Isn’t there a protocol to check to be sure the spouse is safe? Shockingly, Dave Samuelson was given a citation that was already written when he met with Deputy Dotson and Deputy Moore.

Conspiracy to Ruin Dave Samuelson

Wood denied that she was having an affair with Brian Meier which was all Jewell School Superintendent Steve Phillips reportedly needed to drop the issue. Those concerned with Wood’s character found it highly suspect that nothing was done by Steve Phillips.

Wood is reportedly an inactive member of the LDS Church. When a member becomes inactive, the Church usually attempts to help bring them back to active status. Steve Phillips is an active member of the LDS Church, as are most of the staff he has hired since becoming Superintendent of Jewell School District.

Aside from both Wood and Phillips reportedly being of the same faith, Samuelson believes Steve Phillips, “may have an axe to grind with me because of my prior opposition to Steve being hired as the Jewell Superintendent.”

In 2018, Steve Philips stepped down as the Deputy Superintendent of Beaverton, Oregon School District over a “racial tweet” he had shared, and for opposing a book being in the library with a gay character. Rather than getting fired, Phillips resigned from his position, after a group of diverse school board members from other districts demanded Phillips be fired.

Upon coming to Jewell School District, Phillips eventually became the Assistant Superintendent, and later became Superintendent of the District. As a concerned community member, Samuelson voiced his opposition to hiring Phillips, “because the way it was done was not legal.” Samuelson stated that he told Phillips to his face that they didn’t even have a job description or position that Phillips was being hired for. Samuelson recalled Phillips laughing at him when this happened. During a recent US~Observer interview, Phillips claimed that he did not remember Samuelson opposing him being hired.

When asked about the time frame wherein Wood made her claims against Samuelson, Phillips scratched his chin and stated that he didn’t consider the fact that Wood made her allegations against Samuelson just three days after Samuelson as the head Varsity Basketball coach had shared the information regarding the concern a parent reported to him about Shannon Wood’s behavior and her “obvious relationship” with Brian Meier. Samuelson felt it was his responsibility to report this. Given he was told the students were talking about it, he felt the Administration should know so that the students would not be negatively impacted since Wood was the assistant Varsity volleyball and basketball coach.

Was Phillips scratching his chin merely a poor attempt to pretend he did not remember? Phillips reportedly knew good and well about the three days because he is the person who immediately brought Samuelson before the Jewell School Board on the same charges/allegations that the police brought against Samuelson – all based on accusations made by Shannon Wood. Phillips “saw to it that I was promptly removed as the Varsity Basketball Coach,” according to Samuelson.

Rejected Restraining Order

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Wood attempted to get a restraining and stalking order against Samuelson. Judge Brownhill obviously was not buying Wood’s story and rejected it by dismissing Shannon Wood’s attempted order. The order was denied by the Judge on September 27, 2019. This was the same day Superintendent Phillips started the school investigation into Shannon Wood’s accusations against Samuelson. It appears Steve Phillips used the claims within the failed restraining and stalking order to help terminate Samuelson as the varsity basketball coach.

These are some of the statements Samuelson said Steve Phillips made to him during the short and biased investigation Phillips conducted: “With the ‘#MeToo’ movement, you’re a middle-aged white guy so you’re guilty.” And, “I can’t have a 62 year old guy that grabs women by the ass on the bench.” And, “we can’t have a predator in the school.” It is truly unbelievable that a school superintendent would make these comments, and more unbelievable that a school board would allow it.

One witness stated, “Steve Phillips was most likely helping orchestrate things behind the scene because he does not like Dave, and because Shannon Wood is inactive LDS.”

Since Phillips terminated Samuelson based on Shannon Wood’s accusations, Wood has filed other complaints against more employees of the Jewell School District. Wood continues to have the full support of the Superintendent.

Heart Attack

As if things couldn’t get any worse, Samuelson recently suffered a major heart-attack, causing him to have a triple-bypass surgery. As Samuelson went into surgery he stated, “I have to make it through this so I can clear my name.”

It’s a miracle he’s still alive.

Dave Samuelson’s Reputation

A close friend of Samuelson’s said it would be very difficult to get a jury to convict him. He continued, “those who know Dave know that he would never do what Shannon accused him of. She’s known as a liar and Dave is one of the most honest men I know. If Dave said he didn’t do it, then he didn’t do it. Whatever evidence District Attorney Ron Brown has against Dave is either made up or taken completely out of context.”

Obvious False Prosecution

Prosecutor Ron Brown
Photo: Joshua Bessex/The Daily Astorian

If District Attorney (DA) Ron Brown really thought Dave Samuelson guilty, he would not have recently offered to drop all charges against Samuelson if he would plead guilty to one Misdemeanor count of Harassment and pay Shannon Wood $12,000.00 – no ten years in prison, just pay an extorted $12,000.00 and accept a short probationary period. Citizens in Clatsop County should not stand for this obvious corruption.

Instead of playing god with his ridiculous list of ten stacked charges (which are all basically identical) against Dave Samuelson, District Attorney Ron Brown needs to dismiss immediately and sincerely apologize to Samuelson. There is more than enough factual evidence contained in this article for Brown to reach the very same conclusion that all US~Observer seasoned investigators have reached.

If the Samuelson case is business as usual in Clatsop County, then Prosecutor Ron Brown needs to hear from you.

Call Brown at 503-325-8581 and instruct this public employee to serve justice by dismissing Dave Samuelson’s false criminal charges.

Editor’s Note: If you have any information on Clatsop County DA Ron Brown, or anyone mentioned in this article, please contact the US~Observer immediately – 541-474-7885 or via email: editor@usobserver.com. We will be publishing updates. We are currently attempting to establish the connection between DA Ron Brown, Deputy Eric Dotson and Jewell Superintendent Steve Phillips as the facts of this case show that there is, without question, a very strong connection!