Shadle Park teacher to return
District disciplines Read for lying about classroom practices
A Shadle Park High School teacher put on leave for handing out the lyrics of a rap song with off-color language will return to the classroom on Monday.
But Brad Read, an English teacher, will be docked 19 days’ pay and he has signed a “last chance” agreement that will remain in place for the rest of his career with Spokane Public Schools.
“I regret any disruption this has caused,” Read said when contacted at home by phone. “I look forward to getting back into the classroom.”
The district’s investigation revealed that not only did Read distribute the lyrics to “Commencement Day,” which contained profane terms for sexual intercourse and defecation, but the teacher also lied about a profanity-filled George Carlin video he played for the class, according to a district document.
According to the Suspension Without Pay and Last Chance Agreement document, Read initially lied about fast-forwarding through “a majority” of the profanity in Carlin’s “American Dream” video.
Read, a veteran teacher, eventually admitted to officials he was lying and said he was trying to “engage” his students’ “reality” and make school interesting, according to the documents.
District investigators determined that the teacher’s actions, along with issues that arose last year when he used his district e-mail to work in support of the Envision Spokane Community Bill of Rights initiative that failed, could justify his termination.
However, “you admitted your lies … offered to make an apology to any parent who reported a concern … demonstrated an extreme and genuine remorse with regard to offending individuals in the school community” and “offered to provide daily lesson plans to your principal listing any supplemental materials you might use,” the documents state.
Among the 10 items listed in the “last chance” agreement, Read must admit his wrongdoing, never lie during any district investigation and always have supplemental materials approved. Failure to follow the terms of the agreement can result in termination, officials said.
“Mr. Read’s response to the allegations and the district’s reasoning behind the discipline imposed are both clearly outlined in the discipline letter that Mr. Read received,” wrote Assistant Superintendent Staci Vesneske in an e-mail. “Both parties believe that it is a fair resolution given the circumstances as a whole.”