State education officials are moving to suspend or revoke the teaching license of James S. Bell, former Weber High School assistant principal.
Bell was fired in March last year by the Weber School District. Officials then referred the allegations of his reported improper contact with a female juvenile to police. Ever since then, school officials as well as those with two different police departments have refused to elaborate any further on the allegations.
And after months of investigation, prosecutors last fall declined to file charges.
Now officials with the state Office of Education say the process under way to possibly revoke Bell’s teaching credentials is confidential.
“It’s still in the investigative process and will be considered by the Utah Professional Practices Advisory Commission,” said Heidi Adler, a lawyer and investigator in the state education office assigned to the commission that reviews teacher complaints.
The commission will take up Bell’s license at its August meeting, she said Friday, and will form a recommendation for the state Board of Education in time for that body’s September meeting.
Once the state board makes its decision, Adler said, only then can any action on Bell’s license and the allegations be made public.
Attempts to contact Bell’s legal representation with the Salt Lake City law firm of Strindberg & Scholnick were unsuccessful.
Weber School District officials first contacted the North Ogden Police Department in March 2012 after Bell was fired. Both Bell and the female juvenile had resided in North Ogden.
But the department that same month determined the alleged imprioprieties occurred in Pocatello, Idaho, and transferred the case there. After two months of investigation, Pocatello police turned over their findings to the Bannock County (Idaho) Prosecutor’s Office for consideration of charges.
In August 2012, the Bannock County prosecutors announced their decision declining to file charges in a one-sentence fax.
Prosecutors had even reviewed a transcript of Bell’s daylong July 6, 2012, hearing with Weber school officials at which Bell unsuccessfully appealed his firing.
Bell first worked for the Weber district in 1997 as a school counselor at Wahlquist Junior High School. He was an assistant principal at Fremont High School for two years before taking the same post at Weber High in 2008.
Bell was fired in March last year by the Weber School District. Officials then referred the allegations of his reported improper contact with a female juvenile to police. Ever since then, school officials as well as those with two different police departments have refused to elaborate any further on the allegations.
And after months of investigation, prosecutors last fall declined to file charges.
Now officials with the state Office of Education say the process under way to possibly revoke Bell’s teaching credentials is confidential.
“It’s still in the investigative process and will be considered by the Utah Professional Practices Advisory Commission,” said Heidi Adler, a lawyer and investigator in the state education office assigned to the commission that reviews teacher complaints.
The commission will take up Bell’s license at its August meeting, she said Friday, and will form a recommendation for the state Board of Education in time for that body’s September meeting.
Once the state board makes its decision, Adler said, only then can any action on Bell’s license and the allegations be made public.
Attempts to contact Bell’s legal representation with the Salt Lake City law firm of Strindberg & Scholnick were unsuccessful.
Weber School District officials first contacted the North Ogden Police Department in March 2012 after Bell was fired. Both Bell and the female juvenile had resided in North Ogden.
But the department that same month determined the alleged imprioprieties occurred in Pocatello, Idaho, and transferred the case there. After two months of investigation, Pocatello police turned over their findings to the Bannock County (Idaho) Prosecutor’s Office for consideration of charges.
In August 2012, the Bannock County prosecutors announced their decision declining to file charges in a one-sentence fax.
Prosecutors had even reviewed a transcript of Bell’s daylong July 6, 2012, hearing with Weber school officials at which Bell unsuccessfully appealed his firing.
Bell first worked for the Weber district in 1997 as a school counselor at Wahlquist Junior High School. He was an assistant principal at Fremont High School for two years before taking the same post at Weber High in 2008.
No comments:
Post a Comment