Superintendent of Public Instruction Suspends Morton Teacher For Three Years

Parents in Morton are celebrating the news that State School Superintendent Randy Dorn is stripping a controversial history teacher of his license for three years.

Dorn says he chose to suspend his license rather than revoke it because it guarantees Moulton will be out of the classroom for at least three years. If Dorn had simply revoked his certificate Moulton could have applied for a new one after just one year.


Alicia Etenhofer was in Michael Moulton's history class but she remembers like it was yesterday, the way her teacher made her feel.

"He frightened me and I didn't want to be there. Everyone was extremely uncomfortable we would wear sweatshirts, jeans, and make sure our pants were pulled up so our underwear wasn't showing. No one felt safe in there," says Etenhofer.

Alicia's dad filed a complaint in Lewis County Court in 2008 around the same time eight other girls took their complaints to police, but he never felt like he was being heard so he pulled Alicia out of Morton Junior High and chose to home school her.

"When I first went to the principal I thought he was going to jump up and tell him to pack up his desk and tell him to get to me it felt like they did nothing," says dad Pat.

So news that the state has now stripped Moulton of his teaching certificate is finally bringing Alicia and her family some sense of closure.

"He doesn't deserve to be in there in any classroom and this should have happened years ago. I'm just glad it's happening now," says Alicia.

Michael Moulton has called in sick every day since school started on Monday unwilling to face parents who were protesting his return. Then tonight, Moulton's 21-year-old son reached out to us and said he wants people to know something about his dad.

"I just want the community to know he is a really good teacher. He always has been. I've been a TA for him for 3 years before all this started. My dad gives the students high fives or a hand shake but he doesn't do any of the looking down the shirts or that type of stuff," says Steve Moulton.

Moulton has 30 days to appeal the suspension of teaching certificate. Dorn says he chose to suspend his license rather than revoke it because it guarantees Moulton will be out of the classroom for at least three years. If Dorn had simply revoked his certificate Moulton could have applied for a new one after just one year.

We spoke with Morton Superintendent Tom Manke by phone and he said he doesn't have any comment on Dorn's decision until the final suspension order is issued.

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Washington's Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction has suspended the teaching certificate of embattled Morton High School Teacher Michael Moulton for three years, following an outpour of community outrage over allegations Moulton has a history of improperly touching his students.

In a statement released this afternoon, Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn says, "The investigation is done and the paperwork is being completed. The evidence clearly shows that Mr. Moulton violated our code of professional conduct. Because of the intense public interest in this matter, I wanted to make my decision known as soon as possible."

Dorn said he chose to suspend Moulton's license instead of revoking it because a suspension guarantees that the teacher will be kept out of the classroom for at least three years.

A teacher whose certificate has been revoked can apply for a new certificate after one year.

Under state law, Moulton has 30 days to appeal the suspension. If he chooses not to appeal, the order becomes final.

The three-year suspension comes after Moulton called in sick for work a third day in a row.