Licensee contests committee recommendation; PELSB reports multiple discipline outcomes after closed session

The board heard oral argument in the contested case of licensee Courtney A. Wiley, during which the educator ethics committee asked the board to adopt committee proposed findings and revoke Wiley’s teaching license. Committee counsel told the board the administrative law judge recommended default and that, under the default rule, the allegations in the notice should be deemed true.

Wiley, representing herself, disputed the committee's factual account, saying she reported a student in good faith while uncertain and that no firearm or drugs were found that day. She said she had notified the SRO and supervised the student until appropriate authority assumed responsibility. Wiley also raised procedural and equity concerns, alleging the process had been retaliatory and alleging disparate discipline of Black educators. "The proceedings themselves are retaliatory," Wiley said; she called the ALJ’s recommendation and parts of the committee record inconsistent with her account.

The board then went into closed session to deliberate on contested cases and discipline matters. When the board returned, the chair reported the results of closed‑session deliberations for multiple discipline items: adoption of stipulation agreements and consent orders resulting in one‑year state suspensions for Donald Allen, Mitchell Armstrong, Nicholas Latam and Richard Michael Hawk; two‑year state suspensions for Tyler Kondo and Jason Valentine; affirmation of automatic revocation for Ryan Denzer Johnson; a reduction in the penalty for Lindsay Lu from an active suspension to a stayed suspension; and other similar actions described in the closed‑session report.

The board's advising attorney reminded members that written orders and the board’s decisions would be provided to parties by mail.

What happens next: For contested cases, parties will receive written decisions by mail as required; for the stipulations and consent orders reported out, the board said formal written orders would be issued to affected licensees.