Former Jamestown teacher sentenced in solicitation of minors case

Michael Paul Romans, 45, a former Gussner Elementary School teacher and City of Jamestown volunteer firefighter, was sentenced May 5 to 30 months in prison, five years of supervised probation and $1,800 in restitution. He also received 148 days of credit for time already served.

The case carries weight well beyond the courtroom because Romans worked in two trusted public roles in Jamestown. Under North Dakota law, corruption or solicitation of minors is treated as a Class C felony in the circumstances described in the case, a charge that can carry up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. A conviction also brings sex-offender registration requirements under state law.

Court records show Romans pleaded guilty Jan. 21 in Southeast District Court after his arrest Dec. 29, 2025. Prosecutors said the abuse occurred between 2014 and 2017 and involved a girl who was 16 and 17 during that period. Reporting also identified her as a former student who had babysat for Romans and was later tutored by him.

The Jamestown Public School Board unanimously accepted Romans’ resignation in January after the guilty plea. He had already been placed on administrative leave from both Jamestown Public Schools and the City of Jamestown after his arrest, underscoring how quickly the case moved from a criminal investigation into an institutional accountability issue for the school district and the city.

The sentence closes one part of the case, but it does not end the legal questions surrounding it. In a court order, the judge indicated he may ultimately find the statute unconstitutional, adding an unusual wrinkle to a matter that already touched families, school oversight and public trust in adults who work with children. For Jamestown, the outcome is a reminder that the consequences of such cases reach far beyond prison time, affecting the confidence parents place in local institutions and the safeguards expected inside them.