On Thursday, May 21, 2026, at about 8:30 p.m, Stanislaus County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a call for service regarding a school official who was involved in an inappropriate relationship with a student. As deputies began investigating this incident, they requested assistance from the Special Victims Unit (SVU) and a Salida Police Services detective.
During the investigation, detectives identified Rian Johnston, a para-professional primarily working with Special Education students with Modesto City Schools, who was assigned to Gregori High School, as the person accused of having inappropriate relations with a student. The first incident is believed to have occurred in November, 2025.
Salida Police Services, in collaboration with the SVU, was able to contact and arrest 25-year-old Johnston on May 22. She was booked into the Stanislaus County Jail for six felony charges of sexual misconduct with a minor under the age of 18. She is currently being held in custody with a $800,000 bail amount.
Detectives will continue to investigate this case to determine whether there are other victims and additional evidence. Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact Detective Rushing at (209) 305-1950. You may also submit a tip by contacting the Stanislaus County Area Crime Stoppers at 1-866-602-7463 or go online to stancrimetips.org.
Out of respect for the victim and California's confidentiality laws, no further information about the victim will be released.
Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office 250 E Hackett Road, Modesto, CA 95358 (209) 567-4401 [email protected] Sergeant Michael Carranza Public Information Officer (209) 652-5843 [email protected].
