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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Teaching License Revocation Sought Panel Wants Action Against Fox’s Former Chief Deputy

Associated Press

A state panel has asked the Board of Education to revoke the Idaho teaching certificate of Terry L. Haws, formerly chief deputy to state Schools Superintendent Anne Fox, based on the fact he had pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor sex charge involving a minor and then failed to disclose the fact.

Haws’ attorney said Tuesday that Haws is contesting the administrative action and he expects to file a reply to a complaint from the Professional Standards Commission this week. Haws is expected to ask for a hearing before the Board of Education.

Haws was campaign manager for Fox as she won a four-year term as the state’s top education official in November. In January, she appointed Haws as her chief deputy.

James A. Smith, chief certification officer for the Board of Education, filed a complaint with the board asking that Haws’ Idaho teaching certificate be revoked based on violation of the Code of Ethics of the Idaho Teaching Profession.

The complaint said that when Haws applied for an Idaho teaching certificate in 1987, he answered “no” to a question asking if he ever had been convicted of a crime other than a minor traffic offense.

In 1992, when Haws applied for a job with the Nampa (Idaho) School District, he also replied “no” to the question asking if he had a criminal history. Haws worked at Nampa Alternative High School, but his contract was not renewed for 1993-94, the complaint said.

The complaint said that on Jan. 13, 1984, Haws was charged in Alaska with one count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, two counts of misconduct involving controlled substances and one count of attempted misconduct involving drugs.

The complaint said the indictment was handed down by a grand jury after reviewing allegations that Haws had offered marijuana to two minor boys and had asked one of the minors to perform sexual acts upon him in return for the drugs.

On April 13 of that year, the complaint said, Haws pleaded no contest to the misdemeanor charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and was fined $750, with $400 suspended, given a suspended 60-day jail term and placed on probation for three years.

On Nov. 29, 1984, the felony counts of misconduct involving a controlled substance and attempted misconduct involving drugs were dismissed.

Last April 27, the executive committee of the Idaho Professional Standards Commission found probable cause that Haws had committed acts for which the penalty is revocation or suspension of his Idaho license.

They include a requirement to present “one’s professional qualifications accurately and completely.” Another section forbids “conduct which is offensive to the ordinary dignity, decency and morality of others.”

Haws’ attorney, David Manweiler, said his answer would contend in part that the relevant law requires such a disciplinary request to be signed by at least two people who are equal to Haws in rank, although Smith contends that any certified teacher could sign the recommendation.