Washington State Suspends Former Marysville Teacher For Failing to Report Sexual Misconduct

The Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction issued a final order of suspension for the teaching certificate of John Saffold, a former Marysville School District teacher who failed to report a student’s disclosure regarding a sexual relationship with another staff member.

According to the final order, issued last year, Saffold engaged in unprofessional conduct by failing to notify authorities after a student informed him of plans to have sex with a female staff member.

Saffold was employed as a Student Success teacher at Legacy High School and Heritage High School during the 2022-23 school year. The state’s investigation found that on October 7, 2022, a minor student (“Student A”) showed Saffold sexually explicit text messages from Carmen Phillips, a staff member at Heritage High School. Student A explicitly told Saffold that he intended to engage in sexual intercourse with Phillips that night.

Despite the disclosure and the evidence of explicit messages, Saffold did not immediately report the matter to Child Protective Services, law enforcement, or school administration. Instead, he told the student to see him the following Monday to let him know “how it went.” That same night, Phillips engaged in sexual intercourse with the student.

The Cool Teacher

The order details a series of delays by Saffold following the disclosure. When later interviewed by the Tulalip Police Department, Saffold admitted that he hesitated to report the incident because he was considered the “cool teacher” on campus and “didn’t want to jeopardize that reputation.”

For over a week, Saffold debated whether he could make an anonymous report, despite being told by a school office assistant that he needed to report the incident immediately. He did not contact the district’s risk manager until October 17, ten days after the initial disclosure. By that time, the student confirmed to Saffold that he had engaged in sexual relations with Phillips.

Legal and Employment Consequences

Carmen Phillips was later charged and found guilty of Communication with a Minor for Immoral Purposes in Tulalip Tribal Court, receiving a 60-day jail sentence. She also faced additional charges of Sexual Misconduct with a Minor 1st Degree in Snohomish County Superior Court.

Saffold was placed on administrative leave in December 2022 and resigned from the Marysville School District effective the end of the 2022-23 school year.

The Superintendent of Public Instruction ordered Saffold’s certificate suspended for six months. However, the order waived the suspension period, noting that Saffold had already been unable to work as a certificated educator for longer than six months during the investigation.

To reinstate his certificate, Saffold must successfully complete a mandatory abuse reporter training program approved by OSPI, pass a new background check, and submit a new application.

The order concluded that Saffold showed a “flagrant disregard” for professional standards regarding student safety.

A copy of the order is available here.