l BEFORE THE TEACHER STANDARDS AND PRACTICES COMMISSION 2 OF THE STATE OF OREGON Z ln the Matter of the ) DEFAULT ORDER OF 5 Teaching License of ) REVOCATION OF 6 SHANNAN LOUISE SKIRVIN ) RIGHT TO APPLY FOR LICENSURE 7 8 On March 24, 2008, the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission (Commission) issued a 9 Notice of Opportunity for Hearing to Shannan Louise Skirvin (Skirvin) in which the Commission 10 charged her with misconduct under ORS 342.175. The Notice was sent via U.S. First Class Mail and 11 U.S. Certified Mail Receipt 7006 0810 0001 4602 2340 to the address Ms. Skirvin provided to the 12 Commission. The U.S. First Class Mail was returned to the Commission on April 14, 2008 unsigned. 13 The Notice of Opportunity of Hearing, dated March 24, 2008, and signed by Victoria Chamberlain, 14 Executive Director, stated: 15 "You, Shannan Louise Skirvin, are entitled to a hearing on the proposed action of the 16 Commission. If you want a hearing, you must file a written request for a hearing with 17 the Commission within 21 days of the date of this notice. Attached to this notice is a 18 copy of the procedures, right of representation and other rights of parties relating to the 19 conduct of a hearing as required under ORS 183.413(2)." 2(1) Ms. Skirvin did not request a hearing. The Commission, therefore, finds 22 Ms. Skirvin to be in default and enters the following findings of fact, conclusions of law and 23 order, based on the files and records of the Commission concerning this matter. 24 FINDINGS 0F FACT 25 1. The Commission has licensed Ms. Skirvin since November 26, 1996. On November 1, 2001 26 the Commission issued Ms. Skirvin a Standard Teaching License valid until November 1, 27 2006, with a Standard Advanced Mathematics Endorsement. 28 2. During the 2005—2006 school year, while employed at North Valley High School in the Three 29 Rivers/Josephine County School District, Ms. Skirvin, on numerous occasions, engaged or 30 attempted to engage a female student (JV) in conversation regarding sexual contact. This _ 31 conduct constitutes gross neglect of duty in violation of OAR 584-020-0040(4)(o) as it 32 incorporates the standards outlined in OAR 584-020-0035(1)(c)(A) and (D) (Maintain an PAGE 1 — DEFAULT ORDER OF REVOCATION OF RIGHT TO APPLY — SKIRVIN 1 appropriate professional student-teacher relationship). 2 3. During the 2005-2006 school year, while employed at North Valley High School, Ms. Skirvin 3 displayed inappropriate interest in a students (JV) personal life, exchanged romantic notes 4 and messages with the student, often via email. This conduct constitutes gross neglect of duty 5 in violation of OAR 584-020-0040(4)(o) as it incorporates the standards outlined in OAR 584- 6 020-0035(1)(c)(A) and (B). (Maintain an appropriate professional student-teacher 7 relationship). 8 4. During the 2005-2006 school year, while employed at North Valley High School, Ms. Skirvin 9 failed to report a student's (JV) romantic attachment to Ms. Skirvin. This conduct constitutes 10 gross neglect of duty in violation of OAR 584020-0040(4)(o) as it incorporates the standards 11 outlined in OAR 584-020-0035(1)(c)(C). (Reporting to the educator's supervisor if the educator 12 has reason to believe a student is or may be becoming romantically attached to the educator.) 13 5. During the 2005-2006 school year, while employed at North Valley High School, Ms. Skirvin 14 visited the home of a female student (JV). While there Ms. Skirvin laid in bed with her. In an 15 email to the student, Ms. Skirvin subsequently wrote: “You don't know how much lloved just 16 lying there next to you. l thank you for giving me that intimacy... l can 100% see us spending 17 the rest of our lives together... You have no idea how much l just wanted to let myself fall 18 asleep on your bed... l don't ever want to sleep anywhere but next you in your amazing bed. l 19 love you sooo much!" This conduct constitutes gross neglect of duty in violation of OAR 584- 20 020-0040(4)(o) as it incorporates the standards outlined in OAR 584-020-0035(1)(c)(D). This 21 conduct also constitutes gross neglect of duty under OAR 584-020-0040(4)(f) and OAR 584- 22 020-0005(C) and (d). (Any sexual conduct with a student.) 23 6. During the 2005-2006 school year, while employed at North Valley High School, Ms. Skirvin 24 provided alcoholic beverages to a female student (NN) while she was at Ms. Skirvin’s home. 25 NN’s drinking of alcoholic beverages and intoxication is evident in a recorded telephone 26 conversation involving Ms. Skirvin, JV and NN. This conduct constitutes gross neglect of duty PAGE 2 — DEFAULT ORDER OF REVOCATION OF RIGHT TO APPLY — SKIRVIN 1 in violation of OAR 584-020-0040(4)(n) as it incorporates the standards outlined in OAR 584- 2 020-0010(5) (Use of professional judgment); OAR 584-020-0040(4)(0) as it incorporates the 3 standards outlined in OAR 584-020-0035(1)(c)(A) and (D) (Maintain an appropriate 4 professional student-teacher relationship ). This conduct also constitutes gross unfitness in 5 violation of OAR 584-020-0040(5)(e) because you engaged in the criminal act of providing 6 alcohol to a person under the age of 21 years of age as provided in ORS 471.410(2). 7 7. Ms. Skirvin failed to respond to requests for information from, or participate in an interview 8 with, the Commission. This conduct constitutes gross neglect of duty in violation of OAR 58+ 9 020-0040(4)(p). (Subject to the exercise of any legal right or privilege, failure or refusal by an 10 educator under investigation to respond to requests for information, to furnish documents or to 11 participate in interviews with a Commission representative relating to a Commission 12 investigation). 13 CONCLUSIONS OF LAW 14 Failure to respond to requests for information and to participate in interviews with a 15 Commission representative relating to a Commission investigation constitutes Gross Neglect of Duty 16 in violation of OAR 584-020-0040(4)(p). Ms. Skirvin’s failure to refrain from exploiting professional 17 relationships with any student for personal gain, or in support of persons or issues, constitutes gross 18 neglect of duty in violation of OAR 584-020-0040(4)(o) as it incorporates OAR 584-020-0035(1)(b). 19 Ms. Skirvin’s inability to maintain an appropriate professional student-teacher relationship, constitutes 20 gross neglect of duty in violation of OAR 584-020-0040(4)(o) as it incorporates OAR 584-020- 21 0035(1)(c). Ms. Skirvin attempted to conceal her efforts to “groom” a student for a sexual relationship 22 in violation of OAR 584-0020-0035(3)(a). Ms. Skirvin violated OAR 584-0020-0040(5)(e) when she 23 allowed a student to consume alcohol in her home. The Commissions authority to impose discipline 24 in this matter is based upon ORS 342.175. 25 26 PAGE 3 — DEFAULT ORDER OF REVOCATION OF RIGHT TO APPLY - SKIRVIN 1 ORDER 2 The Commission hereby revokes Shannan Louise Skirvin’s right to apply for a teaching 3 license. 4 IT IS SO ORDERED this /i day of May, 2008. 5 TEACHER STANDARDS AND PRACTICES COMMISSION 6 . 7 By- 8 Victoria Cham , xecutive Director 9 10 NOTICE OF APPEAL OR RIGHTS 11 12 YOU ARE ENTITLED TO JUDICIAL REVIEW OF THIS ORDER. JUDICIAL REVIEW MAY BE 13 OBTAINED BY FILING A PETITION FOR REVIEW WITHIN 60 DAYS FROM THE SERVICE OF 14 THIS ORDER. JUDICIAL REVIEW IS PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF ORS 183.482 T0 THE 15 OREGON COURT OF APPEALS. PAGE 4 — DEFAULT ORDER OF REVOCATION OF RIGHT TO APPLY — SKIRVIN 1 CERTIFICATE OF MAILING 2 3 4 I hereby certify that l served the foregoing order by mailing a true copy thereof certified by me 5 as such by U.S. First Class Mail and U.S. Certified Mail—-Return Receipt Requested, addressed 6 to: 7 8 Shannan Louise Skirvin 9 1728 West Gardner Avenue 10 M Spokane WA 99201-1833 11 12 Dated this i day of June, 2008. 13 ft / 14 w 15 Saab 16 By: w 5 M 17 Mel dy Han ecutive Assistant 18 PAGE 1 — CERTIFICATE OF MAILING - SKIRVIN