ACCUSED TEACHER LOSES JOB.Byline: Greg GREG Great Egg Harbor National Scenic and Recreational River (US National Park Service) Botonis Staff Writer LANCASTER - An Antelope Valley College Antelope Valley College is a comprehensive community college located in Lancaster, California, USA. It is operated by the Antelope Valley Community College District, with a primary service area of 1,945 square miles covering portions of Los Angeles and Kern counties. instructor accused of sexually harassing a female student will not be offered a contract for the coming year, college officials said Tuesday. The college board made the decision unanimously after meeting in a closed session Monday night to discuss the complaints leveled in May against James Teuscher, a 34-year-old chemistry instructor. ``The board passed a resolution not to renew his contract for the 2000-2001 school year,'' board President Betty Winke said Tuesday. The college hired an independent investigator independent investigator Independent research investigator NIHspeak A well-established scientist whose research accomplishments have resulted in the bestowal of "tenure", ie, long-term commitment of salary, personnel and research resources to look into the charges leveled against Teuscher by 20-year-old student Emily Guy, college officials said, but they would not reveal the investigator's findings. Teuscher had been on paid administrative leave since Aug. 18, the beginning of the academic year. Officials said Teuscher had been notified that he would not be offered a contract for the 2000-01 year. A claim filed on behalf of Guy by local attorney R. Rex Parris in May said Teuscher had sexually assaulted and harassed her from fall 1999 through late March, while she was a student and teacher's aide "Teacher's Aide" is an episode of the television series The New Twilight Zone. Cast
The claim also indicated that Teuscher had complaints lodged against him by other students, but college officials say they cannot comment on whether such complaints had been filed. The instructor's ``behavior was ratified rat·i·fy tr.v. rat·i·fied, rat·i·fy·ing, rat·i·fies To approve and give formal sanction to; confirm. See Synonyms at approve. by the college when his immediate supervisor failed to investigate the allegations but instead, told (him) that he need not modify his behavior so long as the relationship was consensual CONSENSUAL, civil law. This word is applied to designate one species of contract known in the civil laws; these contracts derive their name from the consent of the parties which is required in their formation, as they cannot exist without such consent. 2. and the student was over the age of 18,'' the claim said. The instructor ``persuaded the claimant CLAIMANT. In the courts of admiralty, when the suit is in rem, the cause is entitled in the Dame of the libellant against the thing libelled, as A B v. Ten cases of calico and it preserves that title through the whole progress of the suit. to write an e-mail to his department head informing him that their relationship was consensual,'' said the claim. Guy stated in the claim that she was unable to ``easily terminate the relationship. The claimant was threatened with exposure and embarrassment if she ever complained.'' During Monday's board meeting, college officials said, Guy's father, John Guy, spoke on behalf of his daughter, asking that Teuscher not be allowed to continue teaching at the college. He also stated that he had received a letter from the independent investigator stating that the allegations were unfounded. Guy indicated that the investigator knows who ``butters his bread'' and was protecting his interests. ``Any instance where we have a student making any allegation The assertion, claim, declaration, or statement of a party to an action, setting out what he or she expects to prove. If the allegations in a plaintiff's complaint are insufficient to establish that the person's legal rights have been violated, the defendant can make a against any member of our staff or faculty, we take it very seriously,'' said college spokesman Steve Standerfer. ``Once we're made aware of such things, we do what we can to resolve or investigate the issues and resolve the problem.'' |
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