State Ethics Panel Clears School Official Bonner County Administrator Exonerated Of Unprofessional Conduct Allegations

A state ethics panel has cleared Bonner County school administrator Ed Sansom of charges he acted unprofessionally.

A complaint was filed against Sansom in 1996 by two teachers. The state’s professional standards commission found enough evidence to investigate Sansom’s conduct.

He was accused of violating the teacher’s code of ethics and showing favoritism while handling a dispute among teachers.

Roger Hanshew, the chief certification officer for the state board of education, recommended Sansom be issued a letter of reprimand for his behavior.

Hanshew’s report said Sansom did not require a formal written complaint from a teacher who complained his colleagues were unprofessional. The teachers who were the target of the complaint filed their own grievance, but Sansom asked them to file it in writing, the complaint said.

After a two-day hearing before the professional standards commission, Sansom was exonerated. The panel said if anyone failed to follow district procedures it was the principal of the school, A.C. Woolnough, not Sansom. Sansom had turned the dispute among teachers over to the principal.

“At some time before this case went to hearing it should have been apparent there was never any basis for accusing Sansom of conducting professional business outside appropriate channels,” the hearing commission said in a written decision. It said the hearing was based on “groundless charges.”

The state’s chief certification officer and the Professional Standards Commission were ordered to pay Sansom’s legal fees of $8,238.

“Sansom has accorded just and equitable treatment to all members of the teaching profession. …” the commission said.

Sansom was hired three years ago. One of his first jobs was to try to demote Sandpoint High School Principal A.C. Woolnough to a teaching post.

The move prompted protests by teachers and parents. Woolnough sued the district and Sansom over the demotion. A judge said Woolnough was wrongly demoted and his job was reinstated. During the battle Woolnough was placed on probation. He had to provide Sansom a written log of his activities at school. The log required entries every 15 minutes during the day.

HEARING Sansom was exonerated after a two-day hearing before the professional standards commission.