Bad News Either Way For Canfield Teacher Mather’s Certificate To Be Suspended Or Revoked Over Alleged Molestations

The state of Idaho wants to revoke or suspend a former Coeur d’Alene middle school teacher’s certification in the wake of child molestation complaints.

But not even teacher Paul Mather knows which option the state is pursuing. Although the Professional Standards Commission made its decision about Mather a month ago, the administrative complaint against him still is being drafted.

“It is in the works,” said Deputy Attorney General Tom Gratton. “It has taken me a whole lot to go through all that material.”

Gratton confirmed Thursday that the state has narrowed its options to revoking or suspending Mather’s teaching certificate.

Mather was accused of sexually molesting five Canfield Middle School girls more than a year ago. He was acquitted of criminal sexual abuse charges in January but still is awaiting results of the state ethics commission’s investigation, which can use less stringent rules of evidence than a criminal proceeding can.

More than a year after the case surfaced, parents of the five girls involved say they don’t understand what is taking the state so long.

“It seems pretty clear-cut what they need to do,” said the father of one of the girls.

State schools superintendent Anne Fox was voted into the Department of Education to improve how the organization handled such complaints, he said.

“But this gives teachers the idea they can get away with this kind of thing,” he said. “It doesn’t do anything for parents suspicious that the whole system is oriented toward protecting teachers.”

State officials say Mather’s case has languished longer because new information prompted the agency to revisit the case.

“We think it was a prudent thing to do that,” said Roger Hanshew, Idaho’s supervisor of teacher certification. “It did stretch out the time, but when we are trying to be fair and thorough, speediness should not be part of the equation. It does take time and it’s frustrating. We acknowledge that.”

Gratton said he expects to finish writing the complaint in the next two weeks. After Mather receives it, he will have 30 days to either accept the complaint or appeal it to a hearing panel. There are seven other similar administrative complaints waiting on Gratton’s desk.

Hanshew said the department’s workload has been heavy this year, particularly with the passage of criminal background check legislation. The new law requires the department to process 28,000 fingerprint and criminal background reports, which revealed a handful of teachers with questionable backgrounds. Mather’s case is one of 30 stacking up at the Professional Standards Commission.

Teachers with cases pending at the commission are either on administrative leave or have left their school districts, Hanshew said.

“We have a pretty good clue that they are not in an Idaho classroom.”

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