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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 9, 2015)
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2015 HERMISTONHERALD.COM • A3 COMMUNITY Board investigates 3 school leaders TSPC looks into response to allegations against teacher-coach By SEAN HART Staff Writer Three administrators who worked for Morrow County School District in 2013 are being investigated by the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission. Superintendent Dirk Dirksen said the commis- sion is looking into the administration’s response to allegations of a sexual relationship between a for- mer teacher and student. He said he reported information about a former student who said she had sex with Jake McElligott, a former math teacher and coach at Irrigon Junior/Senior High School, to the Morrow County Sher- LII¶V 2I¿FH DQG WKH 7HDFK er Standards and Practices Commission immediately when he heard the informa- tion in September 2014. The commission con- ¿UPHG LW KDV RSHQ LQYHVWL gations on Dirksen, Blaine Ganvoa and Craig Bensen. Ganvoa was the Irrigon Senior High School ath- letic director from 2008 to March 2014 and was hired as the athletic director at Hermiston High School in -XQH +H FRQ¿UPHG the investigation was re- garding the administra- tion’s response to the alle- gations about McElligott. Bensen started as the Irrigon Junior/Senior High School principal in 2008 and later transferred to his current position as principal for Morrow Education Cen- ter in Irrigon. He declined to comment about the in- vestigation. Dirksen said he believed the investigation would show that the district prop- erly handled the situation. “ I t ’s interest- TSPC ing to be inves- tigated, given I’m the one that called it in,” he said. “If I was going to guess, given the situation with Mr. McElligott, they’re going to make sure that every- thing has been taken care of with the district. “I am more than com- fortable with the district investigation, the district practice. I don’t think we did anything wrong. We followed our procedures and looked into everything and reported immediately to the agencies we’re sup- posed to.” Dirksen, who is start- ing his 35th year with the school district, said he for- warded all the information he had about the allega- tions against McElligott to the commission and did not want to comment about the information until the commission concluded its investigation into the inci- dent. According to a Morrow &RXQW\6KHULII¶V2I¿FHUH port, a former Irrigon High School student told detec- WLYHVVKHKDGKHU¿UVWVH[XDO encounter with McElligott on the day of her gradua- tion in 2013. She was no longer a minor at that time. The case was closed be- cause there were no allega- tions of criminal conduct, but the detective recom- mended the report be for- warded to the commission for investigation. McElligott was hired as a teacher at Irrigon Elemen- tary School in 2004 and soon transferred to Irrigon Junior/Senior High School as a math teacher. He was hired as the head softball coach at the high school in April 2006 and resigned from that position in June 2013. He was a basketball coach at the junior high school before being hired as the head boys basketball coach at the high school for the 2009-10 school year. McElligott was hired as a sixth-grade teacher at Armand Larive Middle School in Hermiston in July 2013, but he contin- ued as the boys basketball coach for Irrigon, winning the 2A state championship in 2014. Soon after, he was hired as the head boys bas- ketball coach for Hermiston High School for the 2014- 15 school year. Hermiston School Dis- WULFWRI¿FLDOVDQQRXQFHGWKH vacancy of the head boys basketball coach position in August and said McElligott was on paid administrative leave from his teaching po- sition pending the commis- sion investigation. McElligott could not be reached for comment and has not returned repeated messages. SHELTER: continued from Page A1 similar fashion. Estle said he was in the desert near Condon when he discov- HUHG D ORQH ÀRZHU VSURXW ing up. Before telling Wood about the discovery, Estle said the ministry co-found- er told him he felt God was communicating that the ministry would grow up like a rose in the desert. Es- tle said both believed it was another sign. The ministry began collecting and distribut- ing clothing and furniture to people in need, working alongside people who were serving mandatory commu- nity service and hosting informal, non-traditional church services at 10 a.m. on Sundays and during “Testimony and Tacos” at 7 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month. Estle is now looking to the future. He hopes God will help him establish a homeless shelter to reach a population he believes is larger than most people realize. He will present in- formation and lead a dis- cussion at 2 p.m. Saturday downstairs in the Lanham Room at the Hermiston Public Library. Estle said he hopes to raise aware- ness about the needs of the homeless community and inspire volunteers to join the effort. “We’re looking for peo- ple with the same heart,” he said. “It’s one thing to get volunteers, but it’s another thing to get vol- unteers that want to be involved in ministry. You don’t always have the vol- unteers that say, ‘I want to share what Jesus has done in my life.’ That’s really what our ministry is about is Jesus Christ. Everything that we do here is to share the love of Jesus Christ.” Estle said his com- passion for the homeless population began in 1991 outside of a religious con- ference, where he encoun- tered and interacted with people who were living on the streets. Despite the stigma many people have against those who do not have a place to stay, Estle said, when he listened to STAFF PHOTO BY SEAN HART Founder Jason Estle, left, and attendee Mark Leslie pray at Desert Rose Ministries on East Main Street in Hermiston Tuesday. Leslie was formerly homeless and credits the ministry with helping him turn his life around. Estle will present information and lead a discussion about the needs of the homeless community and a possible shelter at 2 p.m. Saturday in the Lanham Room in the basement of the Hermiston Public Library. STAFF PHOTO BY SEAN HART Mark Leslie, who was homeless when he began attending events at Desert Rose Ministries in Hermiston, poses in front of a rendering of the Last Supper at the ministry in Hermiston Tuesday. Leslie now has a job and a place to stay, and he attends most of the services and events at the informal, non-traditional church at 512 E. Main St., Hermiston. Desert Rose Ministries 512 E. Main St., Hermiston Informal services: 10 a.m. Sundays Celebrate Recovery: 6 p.m. Sundays Testimony and Tacos: 7 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month For more information, contact Jason Estle, 541-720-6965. their stories, he realized they were just people ex- periencing hardship. Later in life, Estle said he experienced his own years of hardship. He drank and made poor deci- sions until turning back to religion. “I was in the low of lows, and Jesus picked me up,” he said. “I know that love. All the people that lived here saw me go through a muck, but I’m not in that muck anymore, and it’s because of Jesus.” Estle’s goal with the ministry was to help oth- HUV ¿QG WKHLU SDWK WR D better life through God, he said. Mark Leslie, who was homeless when he be- gan attending events at the ministry, said it has helped him do exactly that. Af- ter “he gave his life to the Lord on a taco Tuesday,” Estle said, Leslie now at- tends and helps at most ministry functions. Leslie said he was drawn to the ministry by the free food but he has since gained a family through the congregation that has helped him secure a job and a place to stay. He said most people who knew him before say he is a completely different per- son now, and he wants to help others improve their lives. “It was like the weight of the world was off of me,” he said. “I came to the realization that I’m not by myself anymore. My com- plete outlook, the way I feel about myself and my self- worth, has done a complete 180-degree turn.” Leslie said most people treat those who are home- less differently. He said he was not sure the exact number of homeless peo- ple in the Hermiston area When they say and you say “Summer Is Winding Down” “It’s A Bummer When I Frown?” cussing the problem at the library event would help bring more people together. “We’ve got to start somewhere,” he said. “I’m going to pray about it. I’m going to trust God. God’s got a plan, and God’s got a reason. Things are hap- pening.” BREASTFEEDING CLASSES One class covers breastfeeding benefits, pumping and much more. Come to this FREE class taught by a certified lactation consultant, and learn techniques that make for a successful experience. Free, but please pre-register. GSMC Conference Center 3 & 4 EARLY PREGNANCY 541-567-4063 405 N. 1st St., Suite #107, Hermiston 541-215-1888 246 SW Dorion, Pendleton EXWWKDWLWZDVDVLJQL¿FDQW problem. In 2014, Umatilla Coun- ty’s point-in-time home- less count reported that there were at least 239 in- dividuals who were home- less in the county, up from 195 in 2012. Estle said he hoped dis- October 7 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm Sound Advantage Hearing Aid Center Ric Jones, BC-HIS STAFF PHOTO BY SEAN HART Religious pamphlets À ll a table at Desert Rose Ministries, 512 E. Main St., Hermiston. The informal, non-traditional church offers a Sunday service at 10 a.m., a Celebrate Recovery meeting at 6 p.m. Sundays and Testimony and Tacos at 7 p.m. the second and fourth Tuesday of each month. Verna Taylor, HAS One FREE class focusing on the first six months of pregnancy. Healthcare professional speakers will provide presentations on topics that include medication use, exercise, diet, breastfeeding and many other helpful subjects. Free, but please pre-register. September 24 • 6:30-8:30pm GSMC Conference Room Center 2 BIRTHING CLASSES Two-day course to prepare each mother and birth partner for a knowledgeable, rewarding and sharing childbirth experience. September 25 & 26 Friday: 6:30 - 8:30 pm, Saturday: 9:30 am - 3 pm GSMC Conference Room SUBMITTED IMAGE A reception for Jose Perez will take place Sept. 15 at the Hermiston Public Library. Reception planned for artist at library A reception for artist Jose Perez will take place from 4-6 p.m. Tuesday at the Hermiston Public Li- brary, where his work is on display throughout the month. The event coincides with the beginning of Na- tional Hispanic Heritage Month from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. Traditional His- panic refreshments will be served. And you thought your kids got GRASS STAINS BABYSITTING BASICS 101 For babysitters ages 10-15. Learn childcare techniques, children's developmental ages and what to expect, basic first aid and infant and child CPR. Sept. 12 • 9:00 am - 3:00 pm GSMC Conference Room $30 - includes lunch & all class materials. Must pre-register & pre-pay. September 16-19, 2015 Buy tickets at PendletonRoundUp.com 2016 Tickets Now Available For information or to register for a class, call (541) 667-3509 or email healthinfo@gshealth.org
