1 BEFORE THE TEACHER STANDARDS AND PRACTICES COMMISSION

2 OF THE STATE OF OREGON

3

4 In the Matter of the ) DEFAULT ORDER OF

5 Teaching License of ) DENIAL OF REINSTATEMENT

6 JAMES R. NORTON ) OF TEACHING LICENSE

7

8

9 On August 14, 2009, the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission (Commission)
10 issued a Notice of Opportunity for Hearing to James R. Norton (Norton) in which the
11 Commission denied his application for reinstatement of his teaching license for having failed to
12 furnish evidence satisfactory to the Commission of good moral character, mental and physical
13 health, and trustworthiness that the Commission considers necessary to establish fitness to
14 serve as an educator. The Commission's action is taken under ORS 342.143(2), ORS
15 342.175(3), and its administrative ruIes implementing that legal authority under OAR Chapter
16 584 Division 020, OAR 584-O50-OO18. The Notice was sent via U.S. First Class Mail and U.S.
17 Certified Mail Receipt 7008 1140 0002 8580 9492 to the address on file with the Commission.
18 The U.S. Postal Service delivered the notice which Norton signed for on August 17, 2009. The
19 Notice of Opportunity of Hearing, dated August 14, 2009, and signed by Victoria Chamberlain,
20 Executive Director, stated:
21 “You, James R. Norton, are entitled to a hearing on the proposed action of the
22 Commission. If you want a hearing, you must file a written request for a hearing with the
23 Commission within 60 days of the date of this notice. If you do not request a hearing or
24 if you fail to appear at a hearing, the Commission will adopt an Order of Default which
25 may include the revocation or suspension of your license or other discipline."
26
27 Mr. Norton did not request a hearing. The Commission, therefore, finds Mr. Norton to be
28 in default and enters the following findings of fact, conclusions of Iaw and order, based on the
29 files and records of the Commission concerning this matter.

30 FINDINGS 0F FACT

31 1, On or about October 12, 2008, James Norton applied to the Commission for reinstatement of
32 his revoked license. Mr. Norton’s license was revoked on September 7, 2005, following a
33 contested case hearing in connection with failing to disclose criminal convictions for one count

PAGE 1-DEFAULT ORDER OF LICENSE REVOCATION - NORTON, JAMES

1 of Assaulting a Public Safety Officer, one count of Assault lV and one count of Criminal
2 Mischief. The convictions stemmed from an altercation in a parking lot involving one person
3 and several police officers. You were found to have engaged in gross neglect of duty in
4 connection with these incidents.
5 2. As part of Mr. Norton's reinstatement application, he submitted several letters explaining the
6 circumstances leading to the conviction. In these letters, Mr. Norton denied responsibility for the
7 conviction and stated the counts against him were false. Mr. Norton minimized the
8 circumstances of the incident by shifting responsibility away from him.
9 CONCLUSIONS or LAW
10 Mr. Norton's October 12, 2008, application for reinstatement of his revoked license is
11 denied because the information submitted, along with his reinstatement documents, did not
12 establish that he possess good moral character, trustworthiness, or physical and mental health
13 to hold an educator's license. The conduct Mr, Norton engaged in that resulted in revocation,
14 including the criminal conviction and surrounding circumstances; and the failure to disclose his
15 criminal convictions as raised in the revocation hearing, demonstrates that he does not possess
16 good moral character, trustworthiness, or physical and mental health to hold an educator's
17 license as required by OAR 584-050-0018. The Commission's authority to impose discipline in
18 this matter is based upon ORS 342.175.
19 //
PAGE 2-DEFAULT ORDER OF LICENSE REVOCATION - NORTON, JAMES

1 FINAL ORDER

2 The Commission hereby denies James R. Norton’s application to reinstate his educator

3 license.

4

5 Approved by the Commission on November 6, 2009, effective November 9, 2009.

6 IT IS SO ORDERED THIS Q ,7! day of July, 2010.

7 TEACHER STANDARDS AND PRACTICES COMMISSION

s / I/ -
10 By._,.“///1:// 4 m ’ /
11 Victoria C/ham-Jw’ xecutive Director
12
12 NOTICE OF APPEAL OR RIGHTS
1
15 YOU ARE ENTITLED TO JUDICIAL REVIEW OP THIS ORDER. JUDICIAL REVIEW MAY
16 BE OBTAINED BY FILING A PETITION FOR REVIEW WITHIN 6O DAYS PROM THE
17 SERVICE OF THIS ORDER. JUDICIAL REVIEW IS PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF
18 ORS 183.482 TO THE OREGON COURT OP APPEALS.
19

PAGE 3-DEFAULT ORDER OF LICENSE REVOCATION - NORTON, JAMES

CERTIFICATE OF MAILING
l hereby certify that l served the foregoing notice of final order, certified by me as such, by mailing
U.S. First Class Mail and U.S. Certified Mail-Return Receipt Requested, addressed to:
James R. Norton
PO Box 1752
Pleasanton CA 94566-0175
Dated this g day of July, 201 O.
By:
Melody anson
Executi e Assist
PAGE 1— CERTIFICATE OF MAILING-JAMES R. NORTON