Accused Teacher Quits Job Search Arizona Application Withdrawn; Investigation Results Expected

Paul Mather has withdrawn his application to teach in Arizona.

The former Coeur d’Alene middle school teacher accused of sexually molesting five Canfield Middle School girls is still awaiting results of an Idaho Professional Standards Commission investigation. He was acquitted on criminal sexual abuse charges in January.

Mather called the Arizona Department of Education to withdraw his application for teaching certification July 29, two days after The Idaho Spokesman-Review reported that he had applied to teach there.

The Arizona Department of Education received Mather’s application and fingerprints May 12, after the Coeur d’Alene School District and its insurance company paid him $47,000 in exchange for his resignation and promise not to sue.

The Idaho Professional Standards Commission initiated its own investigation into Mather’s case and came to a decision a month ago using tapes, testimony and information provided by the school district from previous hearings.

The decision was not made public, however, because the committee chose to revisit the case because of “new information.”

The committee is scheduled to vote on Mather’s case in late September, according to Roger Hanshew, Idaho’s supervisor of teacher certification.

If the commission finds the allegations were well-founded, it can issue a reprimand or suspend or revoke his teaching certificate. If certification is revoked or suspended, the action is reported to all 50 states. A reprimand is not reported.

“If the PSC decides to issue a complaint it would need a signed receipt from Mr. Mather before we could disclose anything,” Hanshew said. “One of our goals is to process these things quicker but it seems that remains a goal that is a little bit hard to attain.”

, DataTimes