CHANDLER, Ariz. — The Chandler Unified School District is defending how administrators responded to multiple student complaints of unwanted touching by a teacher in early 2021.
The parents of one of the students involved accuses administrators of failing to properly report the allegations to police and are asking law enforcement and the school board to investigate.
Meanwhile, 12News has learned the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office alleges school officials were uncooperative during an investigation.
“Girl A” and her parents
On February 9, 2021, a mother arrived at Casteel High School to pick up her daughter, referred to in this story as “Girl A.” She was in tears. “Girl A” told her mom a theater teacher had touched her and made her uncomfortable on several occasions. She was traumatized and worried about backlash after administrators began asking her questions about the teacher, her parents said.
That moment, her parents say, was the beginning of two years of stress and frustration for Girl A and her family.
They allege the administration mishandled the matter, failed to follow mandatory reporting laws, and did not properly address the trauma their daughter experienced from the ordeal during the following months, as required by law.
“Whistleblowers cannot be treated like wrongdoers,” said the girl’s father Wednesday night at a Chandler Unified School Board meeting. “These girls stood up for their civil rights and the law demanded that it be reported. Leadership told me it was reported, but it was not.”
12News is not identifying Girl A’s parents to protect the girl’s identity.
A spokesperson for the district said they are working with the State Board of Education to address “blatant falsehoods” lodged against them during Wednesday’s meeting.
“The District and its employees complied with all Governing Board policies and procedures, and state and federal law,” a district spokesperson said in a written statement.
See the full statement here at the end of this story
Five students accuse teacher of unwanted touching
A campus investigation at the Queen Creek grade 7-12 school was triggered after a different girl complained about the teacher, also on February 9, 2021, according to district records obtained by 12News.
During the following two days, administrators spoke with at least five girls in 7th and 8th grade, including “Girl A.” The girls provided written witness statements about the teacher. At least one administrator also jotted down notes.
According to the records, the girls described the teacher, 66-year-old Patrick Power, as acting overly friendly and physical to the point of making them uncomfortable and scared.
Power declined an interview with 12News. He “vehemently denies the allegations” and “is profoundly saddened” by the claims, according to a written statement from his attorney.
In the school’s records, one girl stated, “Mr. Power keeps putting his hands on my waist and back… he’s scary.”
“He came really close to me and grabbed my waist. I had to pull myself away from him,” said another girl.
While alone in a class with Power, another girl stated, “He got up from his chair and pulled me in and gave me a hug… It made me feel uncomfortable and weird…”
According to one administrator’s note, one of the girls said Power’s hand wandered when he placed it on her back.
Girl A told administrators that one day while she was sitting in a chair, she plugged in a phone charger that was underneath a table. Power said he didn’t want her to trip on the charger chord.
“Mr. Power said to sit on the table instead,” the girl stated. “He lifted me by my hips onto the table…” According to an administrator’s note, Girl A got emotional upon stating Power’s name.
A handwritten note by an administrator also states one of the girls said Power often touched her legs.
Another note, however, stated one of the girls had previously made false claims.
The school also obtained group texts among the girls. One writes, “I’m sure he didn’t mean it that way but still he has given me kidnapper vibes since week one.”
Girl A’s father tells 12News he contacted Assistant Principal Ryan Ridenour about the investigation the same day his daughter came home in tears.
“I asked (Ridenour) if the police were involved and he said yes, the school resource officer (SRO) was aware and he is a sheriff’s deputy,” he said.
That deputy would later tell two different law enforcement agencies that school administrators never notified him of the misconduct claims.
“Allegations insufficient to constitute a crime”
Within two days of the allegations, administrators appeared to conclude the investigation. Ridenour sent a reprimand letter to Power.
“The actions described by the students… could be considered grounds for dismissal,” Ridenour states in the letter. “Based on our conversation… and your description of daily classroom activities, the use of physical contact should be used solely when redirecting students, repositioning students or putting students into specific formations for curriculum purposes. In all other instances, there should be no physical contact with students.”
A spokesperson for the Chandler Unified School District said its investigation was proper.
“The investigation included working collaboratively with the District School Resource Officer, a sworn police officer, which is a common practice at the district to ensure the safety of its students. At the conclusion of the investigation and after careful consideration of all available evidence, the sworn police officer and the district’s investigative team were aligned in their findings – the allegations were insufficient to constitute a crime,” said CUSD Director of Communications Stephanie Ingersoll in a written statement.
Girl A’s parents say their daughter was removed from Power’s class so she would not be around him anymore.
“The hardest thing for us is she was brought forward with a group of girls to sound the alarm and the school district, as mandatory reporters did not follow through with their duties,” he said. “That put her in a situation where she feels like she is the guilty party and walking around the school without the support that really should be provided to her.”
More accusations the following month
The next month, two more girls told school officials that Power separately invited them to attend events off campus. They also mentioned unwanted touching and hugging by Power.
One student, writing about Power’s behavior, stated, “I don’t believe he has bad intentions but even if not it makes us uncomfortable and he should read the room.”
That same day, Power resigned.
Katey McPherson, a mental health consultant for families and schools in Arizona, was hired as a liaison for the family of Girl A. McPherson also has four daughters at Castel and is pursuing a complaint involving one of them, and also alleges the school acted negligently.
McPherson said Power should not have been allowed to resign without the district first filing a complaint against him with the Arizona State Board of Education.
State law requires school officials “shall not accept the resignation” of a school employee until “suspicions or allegations have been reported to the State Board of Education.”
According to Girl A’s father, he then went to MCSO in June 2021 to find out the status of a police report he said he was led to believe had been filed by Ridenour.
“That’s when I found out they had no record of any complaint ever made,” he said. “We were the only people to report to the state board, the sheriff’s office, and the federal government.”
Arizona law requires school officials to report to a peace officer or child protective services an allegation if “any person reasonably believes a minor has been the victim” of abuse.
Girl A’s parents filed their own report against Power in June 2021, prompting MCSO Special Victim’s Unit detectives to launch an investigation.
Deputies would eventually conclude Power committed assault.
MCSO recommended an assault charge, the county attorney declined
During a law enforcement interview with Girl A, she described the incident in which she was picked up by Power by her hips.
The interview included more details than what the school recorded, MCSO told 12News. The girl said she initially resisted and told Power she did not need his help. She pushed his hands away, she said. Power lifted her up on the table anyways, according to MCSO.
MCSO also interviewed another student who said she witnessed the incident and she said Power’s actions towards Girl A made her uncomfortable.
Girl A also described another incident to MCSO in which she said Power allegedly put his hand on her leg near her knee and her thigh. She said he slipped his finger through a rip in her jean, according to MCSO.
After the interview, detectives attempted to interview staff at the school and district. School officials referred detectives to an attorney for the district. The attorney did not respond to correspondences, according to MCSO.
“Since there was no cooperation from Casteel High School regarding Mr. Power or the investigation, Detectives contacted the Arizona Board of Education (AZBOE) and informed them of the investigation as well as information regarding Mr. Power as a teacher in Arizona,” said MCSO spokesperson Joaquin Enriquez.
MCSO also interviewed Power. He denied the allegations made by Girl A.
An Attorney for Power tells 12 News in a written statement, "Patrick Power has over 30 years of dedicated service as an educator. He has exemplified a set of values based upon the highest of standards. His work has benefitted students and communities for decades. Mr. Power is profoundly saddened by the allegations made against him and he vehemently denies them."
In October last year, MCSO submitted a felony assault charge against Power to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, citing Girl A’s testimony and the witness testimony.
The county attorney declined to prosecute the case, saying it was unlikely to result in a conviction.
MCSO tells 12News Power is also the subject of an ongoing investigation by the Phoenix Police Department regarding the alleged sexual assault of a minor.
Asked about that case, Power’s attorney told 12 News Power had nothing more to add to his original statement.
Power has also worked as a teacher in Bakersfield, California, Sierra Linda High School in Phoenix, the Gilbert School District and as a theater coach for youth.
What did the SRO actually know?
During their investigation, MCSO detectives also interviewed the Casteel High School resource officer. He was still working on campus, although he transferred from MCSO to the Queen Creek Police Department.
The SRO claimed he was never made aware of the allegations against Power, according to MCSO. The SRO told detectives if he had been made aware, he would have filed a police report. The Queen Creek Police Department also questioned the SRO, who told them the same story.
12News notified the district that the SRO disputes their version of events and asked if they have evidence confirming administrators notified the SRO of the claims against Power.
“The District is confirming that Officer Lines was informed of the allegation at the time it was made,” said CUHSD Director of Communications Stephanie Ingersoll.
Civil rights claim against the district
Girl A’s father also accuses administrators of failing to properly address his daughter’s PTSD and anxiety that resulted from the entire ordeal, as required by federal disability law.
Last month, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights sided with the father on one of two complaints.
The district agreed to remedies as part of a resolution.
McPherson said she believes the entire case reflects a broader problem within the district.
“Let’s just say hypothetically that this didn’t rise to the level of a crime. We still have kids that were inappropriately touched. We still have Title IX which is a federal protection where supportive measures were supposed to be given and they weren’t,” McPherson said. “We have a pervasive pattern in this District. We had a national news story of Hamilton High School hazing a few years ago and you would think we would have learned by now.”
Chandler School Board President Jason Olive did not respond to 12News’ request for an interview.
Full Statement From Chandler Unified School District
At last night’s District Governing Board meeting, a group of individuals, including a paid parent advocate, lodged allegations against the District and individual District employees. The District does not typically respond to comments made by members of the public, out of respect for student and employee privacy and the integrity of any pending administrative investigation process. However, the District is compelled to respond given the significance of the allegations and the blatant falsehood of the allegations, which questions the tremendous work and character of public educators who care deeply about the wellbeing of students in our District.
The alleged incident occurred more than two years ago. At the time the District received the allegations, and consistent with applicable Governing Board policies and procedures, the District took swift and decisive action to launch an investigation into the allegations, which are always taken seriously by District personnel. In part, the investigation included working collaboratively with the District School Resource Officer, a sworn police officer, which is a common practice at the District to ensure the safety of its students. At the conclusion of the investigation and after careful consideration of all available evidence, the sworn police officer and the District’s investigative team were aligned in their findings – the allegations were insufficient to constitute a crime.
The educator at issue left the District and went back into retirement so they are no longer working at the District. The District recently learned the educator at issue also surrendered their certification to the State Board of Education, which is an option presented to all educators at the beginning of the State Board of Education administrative investigation process. Because the educator at issue retired, surrendering their certification is not uncommon or unexpected and that action does not speak to the legitimacy of the allegations.
Throughout the process, the District and its employees complied with all Governing Board policies and procedures, and state and federal law. The District is working with the Arizona State Board of Education to clear up the false allegations and looks forward to an expeditious resolution. Of course, the District will continue to listen to feedback from its students and families as it carries out its mission to empower our students with knowledge, skills and the attitude necessary to excel in college, career and life. To be clear, the Governing Board and Administration condemn any acts of bullying and harassment of its students and staff, in any form, and takes appropriate action whenever it is notified of such conduct.
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