A14 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
FROM PAGE A1
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1, 2017
State board revokes license of former teacher and coach
the teams to state titles in
both sports. In July 2014
he was hired as a sixth
grade teacher at Herm-
iston’s Armand Larive
Middle School and began
coaching the high school
boys basketball team.
The commission, which
determines discipline for
educators in Oregon, re-
ceived a report from the
Morrow County Sheriff’s
Office in early October
2014, informing them of
an investigation due to al-
legations of inappropriate
conduct between McElli-
gott and the student. The
criminal investigation was
closed soon after but the
commission continued to
investigate
professional
malfeasance. It concluded
that McElligott’s behavior
constituted gross neglect
of duty in violation of
several Oregon laws, and
subsequently revoked his
teaching license.
The former student ini-
tially told a Morrow Coun-
ty detective she began a
sexual relationship with
McElligott a year after she
graduated, but later admit-
ted the affair began the
morning of her 2013 high
school graduation. The
woman said she was not a
minor at the time, and that
she had initiated their first
sexual encounter.
She said McElligott in-
sisted she wait until she
graduated before discuss-
ing her feelings for him.
According to the woman,
McElligott said he fol-
lowed a code in which he
never got involved with a
student before they gradu-
ated. According to the po-
lice report, at the time of
the interview McElligott
was also involved with an-
other former student, who
was also over the age of
18. That former student
did not respond to reported
attempts by the police to
contact her.
Further investigations
by the TSPC revealed that
McElligott and the student
had exchanged personal
phone calls and text mes-
sages during the 2012-
2013 school year, and in
hotel’s general manager,
said the building took al-
most a year to construct. He
said the company chose to
come to Hermiston because
they wanted to be a part of
the vitality of a growing
place.
“We wanted to be a
part of the growth and up-
and-coming success,” Ar-
rasmith said.
He said business has
been good since the soft
opening.
Arrasmith said most of
the employees — there are
currently 35 — are from
Hermiston. He said he ex-
pects they will hire more as
the business starts to grow,
and offer the jobs to locals
first.
Richard Boyles, the
president of InnSight Hotel
Management Group, which
owns the hotel, said he was
excited to provide this ser-
vice to Hermiston.
“We saw a market that
was underserved in terms
of this quality of product,”
he said. “We aim to deliver
a higher level of service.”
Holiday Inn staff said
roughly 150 people attend-
ed the open house over the
two-hour period.
Teacher had inappropriate relationship
with student after she graduated
By JAYATI
RAMAKRISHNAN
Staff Writer
Former Irrigon and
Hermiston teacher and
coach Jake McElligott’s li-
cense has been revoked by
the state’s Teacher Stan-
dards and Practices Com-
mission after a lengthy in-
vestigation and review.
McElligott’s
license
was revoked Jan. 26 due
to an inappropriate sexu-
al relationship with a for-
mer student from Irrigon
High School back in 2013,
whom he had also coached
in softball. The former stu-
dent said she had a sexual
relationship with McElli-
gott that began the day of
her high school graduation.
According to the TSPC re-
port, the student was 18
years old at the time.
McElligott, who had
been licensed since 2003
and teaching in Irrigon
since 2004, coached soft-
ball and basketball at Irri-
gon High School, and led
HOTEL:
continued from Page A1
a pool, meeting rooms,
fitness center and compli-
mentary breakfast. It had its
soft opening Dec. 7, open-
ing the top floor for guests
while the rest of the hotel
was finished.
The hotel is now the tall-
est building in Hermiston,
and in the city’s urban re-
newal district. It is expected
to increase revenue to other
businesses in the downtown
area.
Steven Arrasmith, the
spring 2013 the two met in
the softball dugout before
school because the student
had to make up time from a
practice she missed.
McElligott talked with
the student about some
personal conflicts she was
facing. He told her he
cared about her, and that
he disapproved of her date
to the prom and some of
her lifestyle choices. Be-
fore leaving, McElligott
gave the student a “full-on
hug,” the report said, and
told her again that he cared
about her.
Several administrators
in Morrow and Umatilla
counties were also investi-
gated for their response to
the incident, but cleared of
any wrong-doing.
McElligott was placed
on leave by the Hermiston
School District in August
2015 and let go from his
high school coaching du-
ties when the investigation
by the Teacher Standards
and Practices Commission
came to light. He resigned
his teaching position in
December 2015.
Dr. Monica Beane, the
executive director of the
Community members enjoy refreshments in the dining area of Hermiston’s new Holiday Inn,
which had its grand opening Friday.
continued from Page A1
STAFF PHOTO BY TAMMY MALGESINI
Members of the cast sing “Anatevka” during a Feb. 21 rehearsal for the Hermiston High
School production of “Fiddler on the Roof.”
film after he heard about
auditions.
He said the biggest
challenge has been mem-
orizing his lines. The most
enjoyable aspect of the
production, Roberts said,
is working with everyone
in the cast.
Mercer said the winter
weather caused problems,
which resulted in a short
timeline in putting the
production together. De-
spite the hiccups, McCla-
nahan said the rehearsals
are going well.
“The choir is doing
a fantastic job,” he said
“And, Noah does a really
good job as Tevye.”
Clarissa
Nitz
was
thrilled to get the part of
Fruma Sarah. The senior
previously performed in
“The Music Man.”
“I think it’s fun because
it incorporates both acting
and music,” she said about
musicals. “It makes me
gott case, Sipe said her
district has very specific
policies on grooming and
sexual misconduct.
“In the handbook, it
shows that state law re-
quires all school districts
to provide training on sex-
ual misconduct, including
grooming,” Sipe said. She
added that employees also
receive training about how
to report behavior they
think might constitute sex-
ual misconduct, including
making anonymous com-
plaints.
Sipe said a key point
in preventing this kind of
incident is having staff
recognize what grooming
looks like, in order to raise
alarm about it.
Dirk Dirksen, the su-
perintendent of Morrow
County School District,
said the district does a lot
of training and profession-
al development around the
definitions of grooming.
“We stay alert and ask
people to report it,” he
said. “We investigate. Ev-
ery time we get a report
we do an investigation and
turn it in — but the process
is slow.”
STAFF PHOTO BY JAYATI RAMAKRISHNAN
PLAY:
McClanahan and Bem-
rose-Rust, who are both in
their first year at Hermis-
ton, convinced Dana Mer-
cer, the school’s longtime
drama director, to stage
Fiddler.
It didn’t take much
prodding, Mercer said. In
her 25-plus years heading
up the drama program at
Hermiston, it’s been Mer-
cer’s experience that stu-
dents come out in droves
for musicals.
“They like the singing,
they like the dancing,” she
said. “Also, there are more
parts.”
Among those audition-
ing for “Fiddler on the
Roof” was a newcomer to
Hermiston High School’s
drama stage — senior
Noah Roberts.
The talented sing-
er landed the role of the
musical’s lead character
— Tevye. Although previ-
ously unfamiliar with the
play, Roberts watched the
TSPC, said some cases
take longer because of the
availability of new wit-
nesses in a case. She said if
a case is also being inves-
tigated by a law enforce-
ment agency, the TSPC’s
investigation can be de-
layed so it doesn’t interfere
with law enforcement.
“In this case, we had
to wait for other factors,”
Beane said. She added that
McElligott initially re-
quested a hearing, but the
case was settled before the
hearing.
Beane said Oregon is
a member of the Nation-
al Association of State
Directors of Teacher and
Education
Certification
Clearinghouse, a national
educators’ system that is
required to report individ-
uals on whose records ac-
tions have been taken, so if
someone whose license is
revoked in Oregon applies
for a license in another
state, they will be investi-
gated in that state as well.
Heidi Sipe, the Umatil-
la School District superin-
tendent, also serves on the
TSPC. While she recused
herself from the McElli-
more comfortable with the
play.”
Bobby Crane, who
plays Perchik, also per-
formed in “The Mu-
sic Man.” He said the
energy with Fiddler is
phenomenal. He likens
the cast to a big family
that’s been pulling to-
gether to succeed. Crane
said he looks forward to
rehearsals.
“It’s like the light at the
end of the day,” he said.
“We have somewhere
good to go after school
and we support each oth-
er.”
The storyline centers
on Tevye and Golde, who
have five daughters. Life
in the Russian village of
Anatevka in 1905 is said
to be as precarious as the
perch of a fiddler on a
roof.
While attempting to
maintain his Jewish reli-
gious and cultural tradi-
tions, Tevye has to deal
with several strong-willed
daughters. Despite ar-
rangements by the match-
maker, the older daughters
have their eyes on men
they wish to marry for
love.
“It’s fun and it’s whim-
sical and it’s sad and
lovable,” Bemrose-Rust
said. “It’s all the emotions
rolled into one. It hits
them all and there’s great
dancing and singing.”
The play opens this
weekend with performanc-
es Friday and Saturday at
7 p.m. in the school’s fine
arts auditorium, 600 S.
First St., Hermiston. The
final two shows are March
10-11. Tickets are $10 for
adults and $6 for youths
and senior citizens.
Flowers • Candles
Jewelry • Plants
Balloons & More!
e!
Put a smile on the heart with
the power of flowers.
wers.
HWY 395
395, HERMI
HERMISTON
IST
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541-567-4305
Mon-Sat 8am-6pm • Sun 12pm-5am
www.cottagefl owersonline.com
March Events!
Pendleton Parks and Recreation Presents:
Wee Bit O’ Ireland Annual
St. Patrick’s
Celebration
k
a
e
r
B
g
n
i
r
p
S
n
o
i
t
a
c
Stay-
Join us for a great weekend every March in Heppner for “A Wee
March 28, 29
29, 30
Xplore Pendleton (K-4th)
March 27
15) )
Get Air Tri-Cities Road Trip (7-15)
March 31 • 7pm
es)
Movie Night: “Moana” (all ages)
www.pendletonparksandrec.com
• 3/12 - Winter Triathlon: 3k ski, 3k run, 3k ski
• 3/19 - Taste of Nordic
• 3/27-3/31, open daily for Spring Break!
for event details and information
www.AnthonyLakes.com
Bit O’ Ireland” St. Patrick’s Celebration. “Always held the weekend closest
to St. Patrick’s Day” (for 2017, March 17-19), you will fi nd lots of activities
and events to keep you busy; enjoy the great Irish community and start a
new tradition in coming back again and again. The weekend starts with
with a 3 on 3 basketball competition on Friday night; Saturday begins with
the Sheep Dog Trials, KUMA Coffee Hour, CEILI, Bouncin Leprechauns
Fun Zone for Children, Lot of Arts and Crafts on display, Cruz-In Cars on
display, Great Green Parade, the Welly toss, just to name a few. The
main Saturday evening entertainment will be “The Gothard Sisters” and
the”Old Time Fiddlers”. All entertainment is free to the public due to
funds provided by the Morrow County Unifi ed Recreation District. The
weekend ends with a “Road Bowling competition! We extend “Caed
Mile Failte” (Gaelic meaning 100,000 Welcomes) to all our visitors! You
don’t have to be Irish when you come, but you’ll be Irish when you leave!
Call the Heppner Chamber for a schedule at 541-676-5536; or email at
heppnerchamber@centurytel.net.
Check it out online at: “heppnerchamber.com/stpattysday.
Join us on Facebook: “Facebook.com/pages/St-Patrick-Celebration-
Heppner-Oregon-USA/182932548392756”