Accused teacher, coach fights for license

A Spokane Valley teacher accused of sexual misconduct is appealing a recent decision by state officials to take away his teaching license.

Dana Schmerer, the former head girls’ softball coach at West Valley High School and a teacher in the Central Valley School District, has been the subject of a yearlong investigation into accusations that he had a sexual relationship with a female student.

State investigators issued a proposed order of revocation of Schmerer’s teaching certificate on May 25, said Sue Pennington with the Office of Professional Practices at the Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Schmerer appealed the decision June 5, Pennington said.

Schmerer was placed on paid administrative leave from his teaching duties at North Pines Middle School in May and will remain so, Central Valley district officials said.

“There’s been no change in his status at this point,” said Lise Louer, assistant superintendent.

She said she could not comment on the details of the state’s investigation or findings.

Schmerer’s appeal will go before the Admissions and Professional Conduct Advisory Committee, the state committee charged with handling challenges to disciplinary action by certificated professionals and application denials, Pennington said.

It could be several months before a decision is made, officials said.

Allegations about the coach and his relationship with the student athlete surfaced in April 2005, when a parent volunteer complained to district officials about seeing Schmerer and the teenage girl emerge from a darkened athletic equipment shed.

The district began an investigation and eventually involved Spokane County sheriff’s detectives.

In a police report taken in May 2005, another West Valley student said the alleged victim told her that she and the coach had a sexual encounter.

Both the student and Schmerer denied the allegations, and the case was turned over to the state after the sheriff’s sexual assault unit released the teacher of any criminal wrongdoing. The state continued to investigate the alleged sexual misconduct.

A call to Schmerer went unanswered Monday.

The alleged victim graduated from West Valley in 2005.