| August 8, 2005 Teacher sexual misconduct allegations reported locally By Mark Boshnack Staff Writer At least five area teachers have faced sex-related charges in recent years with a variety of outcomes. Retired Cooperstown Central School administrator David Pearlman said he has won the first round of appeals over a decision by state Education Commissioner Richard Mills to revoke his teaching certificate in April 2004. The state action was the result of allegations by a woman in 2003 that Pearlman had sex with her from 1979 to 1982, the girl’s sophomore through senior years at Rye Neck Union Free School District where he was teaching English, according to court papers. He was accused last year of having an "inappropriate sexual relationship" with a girl matching the woman’s description. Pearlman strongly denied the allegations. In a recent decision on the case by state Supreme Court Judge James B. Canfield in Albany, Mills was ordered to restore Pearlman’s license and hold a hearing on the charges. Mills is appealing the decision and a court official said a hearing is scheduled for October in state Appellate Court Third Department. When his certificate wasn’t reinstated last year, Pearlman said he decided to retire in June 2004. Cooperstown Superintendent Mary Jo McPhail confirmed that Pearlman chose to retire at that time but said she couldn’t comment further. In 2002, he was suspended for three months after a state hearing officer found him guilty of insubordination and conduct unbecoming a principal. Those charges arose from his relationship with a former high school student who was a family friend. He was found guilty of 13 of the schools 69 charges and suspended without pay or district benefits. He returned as an administrator after the suspension was completed. An English teacher since 1972 and a licensed administrator since 1990, Pearlman said he has been working as an education consultant since leaving his post. In other cases: • In October 2001, Timothy J. Nolan, a teacher at Valley Heights Christian Academy in Norwich, was charged with first-degree sexual abuse following sexual contact with a child under 11, Norwich city police said at the time. The child was not a student at the school, nor did the incident take place there, a school officials had said. Nolan was found guilty of the charge on July 9, 2002, in Chenango County Court and is serving a 5½-year state prison term, a court official said Friday. • Oneonta Middle School teacher Michael Morley admitted in May 2004 to having had sexual intercourse once with a former student no longer in the area and he was suspended with pay. In October of that year he pleaded guilty to one count of endangering the welfare of a child and resigned. He was not listed in the phone book and could not be reached. • Cherry Valley-Springfield High School math teacher William R. Shaul was suspended in March 2000 without pay for sexually harassing a 15-year-old female student. He had been found guilty and fined on a similar charge 10 years earlier. The school, by law, was required to rehire him. The action followed a review of charges by a state hearing officer on Feb. 16, 2000. Thomas N. Rinaldo, appointed by he state Education Department, found Shaul guilty of conduct unbecoming a teacher, immoral conduct and engaging in "flirtatious and unwelcome conduct of a sexual or romantic nature toward a minor student." CV-S Superintendent Nicholas Savin said Shaul is still teaching math at the school. The incident occurred before Savin began work in the district about three years ago, he noted. "It hasn’t been an issue — he is doing fine," he said when asked to comment. Shaul did not return a call for comment. • In 2001, Sidney high school teacher James Craig had his license revoked, according to state records, after allegedly having student girlfriends in 1997. Superintendent Dominic Nuciforo did not return several calls for comment and Craig could not be located. http://www.thedailystar.com/news/stories/2005/08/08/allege1.html |