Boise teacher initiated ‘sexual relationship’ with student, complaint alleges

Becca Savransky, Idaho Statesman

BOISE (Idaho Statesman) — A authorities committee will soon determine whether to revoke a erstwhile Boise School District teacher’s licence aft he was accused of initiating a “sexual relationship” pinch a precocious schoolhouse student and acting inappropriately toward others.

Bob Clark, who was employed by nan territory arsenic a PE teacher, had “sexual relations” pinch astatine slightest 1 precocious schoolhouse student, according to an administrative title revenge against Clark and obtained by nan Idaho Statesman. The title was first reported by Idaho EdNews.

The state’s main certification serviceman requested that Clark’s school certifications beryllium revoked by nan Idaho Professional Standards Commission, which investigates imaginable violations of nan rule aliases of Idaho’s morals codification for educators. The committee is expected to ballot connected what subject nan pedagogue should look successful nan coming months.

Clark antecedently served arsenic nan Boise High shot coach for 13 years earlier he resigned from that domiciled successful 2016 to “pursue different interests,” according to previous Statesman reporting. He resigned from nan territory successful May 2023, according to nan district.

The authorities title alleged that Clark exhibited “inappropriate coquettish behavior” during his clip arsenic a teacher. It says he didn’t support due boundaries pinch students and offered typical curen aliases “overly friends behavior” pinch astatine slightest 1 student.

The title provided fewer different details. Clark did not respond to a petition for comment.

Boise School District spokesperson Ryan Hill said territory officials began looking into nan allegations arsenic soon arsenic it learned astir them from a erstwhile student and reported nan claims to police. Clark, who astatine nan clip was making $81,000 a year, resigned while he was nether investigation, and nan territory turned complete each of nan accusation to nan Professional Standards Commission, Hill said.

Clark has a modular instructional certificate, effective from Sept. 1, 2023, done 2028, according to nan complaint.

Clark’s behaviour violated principles of nan codification of morals adopted by nan State Board of Education, which require educators to support master relationships pinch their students and travel federal, authorities and section acquisition statutes, according to nan complaint.

Unprofessional relationships pinch students could see “soliciting immoderate intersexual enactment from immoderate insignificant aliases immoderate student sloppy of age” and “soliciting, encouraging, aliases consummating a romanticist relationship” pinch a student, according to nan morals code. A coach could besides break nan morals codification by having inappropriate interaction pinch a student aliases having a individual narration pinch a student that could undermine master boundaries.

Clark had 30 days to respond to nan complaint, but did not record a response.

The committee mostly upholds nan proposal from nan main certification officer, but it has nan authority to make a different decision, said Annette Schwab, nan morals and inheritance checks coordinator astatine nan State Department of Education.