Spokane police investigating teacher complaint
Spokane police are investigating a criminal complaint that a Ferris High School teacher engaged in a sexual relationship with a student last school year, a police official said Wednesday.
Deputy Chief Al Odenthal said police have not yet interviewed the teacher, Sayeed X, since learning of the allegations from Child Protective Services more than two weeks ago. He said that if the alleged victim has not yet been interviewed by detectives, she will be soon. “We have just begun a criminal investigation,” Odenthal said.
X resigned from his job at the school Feb. 7 after a Spokane School District investigation turned up notes written by the teacher to the girl, who is now a high school junior, The Spokesman-Review reported Wednesday.
“We put Mr. X on administrative leave within 24 hours of hearing there were some concerns,” Terren Roloff, the school district’s community relations director, said Wednesday. “We began the investigation on Jan. 24.”
State law requires school district officials and others to report such allegations within 48 hours after it’s been determined there is reasonable cause to believe a child has been abused, Odenthal said. He could not say when the district informed CPS of the case involving X, but police were not informed by CPS until Feb. 1.
If it is determined there was a delay in reporting, Odenthal said police would discuss it with the school district.
“The criminal investigation takes primary importance,” he said.
“I don’t know when the district informed CPS,” Roloff said, “but I do believe we followed the correct reporting procedure.”
Odenthal said the school district is cooperating with the police investigation, which will be referred to the county prosecutor’s office. Odenthal said X has no criminal convictions.
The deputy chief said Washington law prohibits sexual relationships between adults and anyone under the age of sexual consent, and provides for enhanced penalties for the conviction of someone who abuses a position of authority over a child.
The district also has reported the allegations to the state Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, which will conduct its own investigation, according to Sue Pennington in the SPI’s office of professional practices.
X will continue to receive his salary until his contract ends Aug. 1. Roloff said Washington law allows a certificated employee whose contract is not renewed to continue to be paid pending an appeal to a state arbiter. Such an appeal typically takes more than a year, Roloff said.
X also agreed not to apply for any future jobs in the district. Should he apply for a job out of the district, the district is required to report allegations against him to any prospective employers.