Minn. educator licensing board adopts multiple discipline orders, suspensions and revocations

The Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board on Jan. 17 held oral arguments in four contested teaching‑license matters and then, after a closed deliberation, adopted a series of findings and orders that included suspensions, a reported revocation recommendation and other sanctions.

The board, chaired in the proceeding by Angelo Suji, heard oral argument from assistant attorneys general representing the Educator Ethics Committee and from counsel for at least one licensee before moving to closed session to deliberate. Assistant Attorney General Jermel Zayed told the board in the Julie Anderson matter that the case was a default: "This is a default... the licensee did not show up to the pre hearing conference... and that means the allegations and the notice in order for hearing were deemed admitted." Assistant Attorney General Carly Rasmussen recommended revocation in the Daniel James Felton matter, saying the committee "respectfully recommends that the board issue an order adopting the judge's findings and revoking licensee's teaching license." In the Sarah Han matter, counsel for Han said, "Miss Han never provided any student with marijuana or any substance."

Why it matters: The board's actions affect the employment eligibility and licensure status of the named teachers and signal how the board and its Educator Ethics Committee are applying disciplinary standards, including how they handle defaults at the Office of Administrative Hearings and contested cases with live testimony.

What the board heard and found - Julie Anderson: The Educator Ethics Committee presented the case as a default at the Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH), arguing the licensee failed to appear for pre‑hearing proceedings and did not respond to an order to show cause. The committee recited a series of prior district disciplinary actions and recommended a three‑year suspension with conditions allowing petition for removal of the suspension after three years provided the licensee completed board‑approved boundary training. The board later adopted findings and a three‑year suspension.

- Daniel James Felton: The committee asked the board to adopt the ALJ's report after Mr. Felton failed to appear at the pre‑hearing conference and to revoke his license, citing allegations the committee described at the hearing as grooming and sexual assault of a student. Assistant Attorney General Carly Rasmussen told the board the ALJ's report and recommendation had been filed as exhibit A and that, based on the judge's recommended disciplinary action and the severity of the allegations, the committee sought revocation.

- Sarah Elizabeth Han: The committee asked the board to lift the stay on an existing suspension and impose the previously agreed suspension after presenting evidence that, it said, Ms. Han drove students from campus and provided them with marijuana following a prior consent order requiring boundaries training and other restrictions. Ms. Han's counsel disputed the marijuana allegation and said the interaction was a brief ride to get food during an extracurricular event, arguing it did not violate the existing stipulation. Rasmussen said the committee believed the board could find Ms. Han provided marijuana but, even without that finding, urged lifting the stay and suspending the license for the remainder of the yearlong stay. The board adopted a stipulation agreement and consent order and suspended Han's license until Sept. 20, 2025.

- Raquel Andrade: The committee summarized a contested two‑day hearing record alleging multiple incidents across years, including pulling kindergarten students' ears and physically grabbing older students. The Administrative Law Judge found the conduct occurred, described it as corporal punishment and recommended disciplinary action. The committee asked the board to adopt the ALJ report and impose a multi‑year suspension with conditions for a stayed period; the board adopted findings and an order reported in the meeting's summary (see Votes at a glance below).

Votes at a glance (reported after closed deliberations) The board returned from closed session and reported adoption of findings/orders in multiple cases. The transcript reports the following adopted actions (board text quoted where the transcript is specific; where the transcript wording was not specific, the entry below lists the outcome text as reported by the board in open session):

- Julie Anderson — "the board adopted findings of fact and conclusions of law and order whereby Julie Anderson's license is subject to a 3 year suspension." (adopted)

- Raquel Andrade (transcript labels sometimes as "Raquel Andres") — "the board adopted findings of fact, conclusions of law and order whereby Raquel Andres teaching license is subject to a 3 years suspension followed by a 3 year state suspension." (adopted; text as read in meeting transcript)

- Sarah Elizabeth Han — "the board adopted findings of fact, conclusions of law and order whereby Sarah Hans' license is suspended until 09/20/2025. The board adopted a stipulation agreement and consent order." (adopted)

- Additional reported actions listed by the board in open session (transcript text preserved as read): - "[A]thena Ghana's teaching license is subject to a 1 year state suspension." (stipulation/consent order adopted; transcript name spelling as read) - "Harold Hopday's license is subject to a 1 year state suspension." (adopted) - "Ryan Larson's teaching license is suspended for 5 years." (stipulation/consent order adopted) - "Theresa Lightfoot [City?] license is subject to a 1 year state suspension." (stipulation/consent order adopted) - "Christopher Olmstead Teaching Life Sciences surrendered." (stipulation/consent order adopted) - "Nathan [will next / name garbled] teaching licenses are revoked." (transcript text as read) - "Turning Winter's teaching license is subject to a 1 year state suspension." (stipulation/consent order adopted)

Notes on procedure and record Board members were instructed before deliberation to base decisions exclusively on the evidence in each hearing record and to give weight to the ALJ reports where present but not to treat them as binding. Chair Angelo Suji read procedural instructions indicating members must explain deviations from ALJ recommendations in their findings if they choose to diverge. The board recessed to closed session for deliberations and returned to announce the adopted items listed above. The transcript shows one board member (Dr. Payne) recused from deliberations due to international travel and lack of file access.

What the board did not state in open session The transcript presents the board's open‑session summary of adopted orders but does not include full written orders, vote tallies for each disciplinary order, or the precise text of conditions attached to each suspension (for example, the transcript references the committee proposal that Julie Anderson be allowed to petition after three years if she completes board‑approved training, but the open‑session announcement gives only the suspension length). The board indicated that written final orders would be mailed to the parties.

Next steps The board will issue written final orders explaining findings and sanctions to each affected licensee by mail. Those final orders will provide the detailed factual findings, the legal conclusions relied on, any conditions for reinstatement or stayed suspensions, and the vote or member opinions where applicable.