' BEFORE THE TEACHERS STANDARD AND PRACTICE COMMISSION
OF TI-IE STATE OF OREGON
In the Matter of the STIPULATION AND ORDER OF
Teaching License of SUSPENSION
JEFFREY WITT
On or about July 24, 2000, the Teacher Standard and Practices Commission
(Commission) notiﬁed Jeffrey Witt (Mr. Witt) that a report had been ﬁled by the
Salem-Keizer School District alleging that Mr. Witt had accompanied minors who
were students in a different district to an adult bookstore.
Mr. Witt fully cooperated with the Commission's investigation and did not
. contest the allegation. After a review of the matters alleged, Mr. Witt and the
Commission have agreed that their respective interests, together with the public
interest, are best served by a stipulation to certain facts and the imposition of a
3O day suspension. This Order set forth the facts upon which the parties have agreed
and the sanction to be imposed. In entering into this stipulation, Mr. Witt waives
his right to a hearing to contest the findings of fact, conclusions of law and order set
forth below.
FINDINGS OF FACT
The parties stipulate that there is substantial evidence in the record for the
Commission to make the following findings of fact, and the Commission ﬁnds as
.1’ follows:
Page l - STIPULATION AND ORDER OF SUSPENSION — JEFFREY WITT

. l. Mr. Witt holds an Oregon teaching license which was issued 0n
August l8, I998.

2. Mr. Witt was employed by the Salem-Keizer School District beginning in
I998. The position was Mr. Witt’s first teaching assignment. Mr. Witt
resigned on August 4, 2000.

3. Mr. Witt was considered to be an excellent teacher by the District. He has no
past record of exhibiting poor judgment with students.

4. On or about April l, 2000, Mr. Witt was contacted by a music teacher
colleague in a different school district who asked him to perform in her
school’s “cabaret night.” Another performer had canceled at the last minute.

. Mr. Witt agreed to fill in at the April l event.

5. After the cabaret performance, Mr. Witt went out to eat with the other teacher
and three students from the other district, two seniors and a graduate. During
the course of the evening, the students asked the two teachers to take them to
an adult bookstore to celebrate the eighteenth birthday of the youngest of the
three students.

6. Mr. Witt and the other teacher took the three students to an adult bookstore
for a brief visit. None of the group made any purchases.

7. At the time, Mr. Witt did not realize that the same standards of behavior
applied to him whenever he was with minor students, regardless of whether

' those students attended school in his district 0r in a different district.

Page 2 - STIPULATION AND ORDER OF SUSPENSION — JEFFREY WITT

‘ 8. Mr. Witt now recognizes that he failed to use professional judgment by
agreeing to the students’ request.
Jeffrey Witt enters into this Stipulation of Facts with knowledge that the
Commission will suspend his Oregon Teaching License for a period of 3O days,
effective September 1, 2000, and will order him t0 undergo an evaluation to ensure
his ﬁtness to teach. This Stipulation is contingent upon approval and adoption of the
Order by the Commission. If the Commission does not adopt this Order, neither Mr.
Witt nor the Commission are bound by these stipulations and Mr. Witt retains all
rights to a hearing on the allegations.
IT IS SO STIPULATED: ‘
O .
é? % Ewe“ \~» 8(ZZZQ9
Jeff y 1 Date
Md éﬂgﬂl: V)’ [no
David V. Myton, Execu ve Director Date
CONCLUSION OF LAW
Mr. Witt's activities constituted gross neglect of duty in violation of
OAR 584-020-0040(4) by deviating from the professional standards set forth in OAR
584-020-0010(5).
. /// /// ///
Page 3 - STIPULATION AND ORDER OF SUSPENSION — JEFFREY WITT

‘ ORDER
The Commission adopts the above ﬁndings of fact and suspends the Oregon
teaching license 0f Jeffrey Witt for a period of 3O days from September l, 2000. At
the end of this suspension period, Mr. Witt’s teaching license will be reinstated upon
application and showing by Mr. Witt that he has undergone an evaluation at his own
expense by a psychotherapist or medical professional acceptable to the Commission,
and the evaluator submits a written report to the Commission attesting that (l) Mr.
Witt is ﬁt to work with children and teenagers and (2) there is a high probability that
he will not engage in similar inappropriate behavior.
Dated this i/Zlay of September, 2000.
‘ TEACHER STANDARDS AND
PRACTICES COMMISSION
By Mp\
David V. Myton, Exe tive Director
APPROVED AS TO FORM: t
l1
MM ‘ ‘m
Monica A. Smith
of Attorneys for Jeffrey Witt
’
Page 4 - STIPULATION AND ORDER OF SUSPENSION - JEFFREY WITT