A special education teacher who taught at Elton Gregory Middle School in Redmond was reprimanded and put on probation for four years after allegations surfaced that he screamed at students, shoved food in a student’s mouth and spanked the buttocks of a special-needs child, according to an April 4 report from the Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission.

The investigation uncovered that school staff said they were afraid of him and had not reported his misconduct due to his threatening behavior towards staff.

The Redmond School District sent a report to the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission in May 2022 regarding misconduct by special education teacher John Hooper. The Oregon Department of Human Services also sent a misconduct report to the commission that June.

The district’s misconduct report alleged that Hooper “slapped a student three times on his buttocks.” The Oregon Department of Human Services report further alleged that Hooper screamed at students, flicked a student in the neck and shoved food in a student’s mouth.

Hooper, who is now assigned to Redmond Proficiency Academy as an extended classroom resource special education teacher, denies the allegations.

Hooper is still employed by the district and is retiring in June, said officials. He is still in a classroom role and could be in a classroom setting with two to 10 students at a time, said Kerry Desmarais, director of secondary special education for the district. Redmond Proficiency Academy teaches sixth through 12th grade.

According to the school district’s documents, on May 12, 2022, a student pulled down his pants in front of Hooper’s class and was grabbing at staff members’ hair. Two instructional assistants in Hooper’s class reported that Hooper grabbed the student by the arm and “using an open right hand, spanked (the student) 2-3 times” and pulled up his pants, according to the report. On May 26, Hooper was issued a letter of reprimand from the district, which indicated that further incidents could result in disciplinary measures up to and including termination.

On June 13, 2022, a witness reported in an Oregon Department of Human Services interview that they observed Hooper flicking a student at the base of their neck above the right shoulder. The witness believed this was because the student was falling behind and walking slowly.

Staff interviewed as part of the Oregon Department of Human Services investigation reported that they were afraid of Hooper because “he would yell at them, treat them bad and threaten them,” according to the report. This was why, staff said, they had not reported Hooper’s classroom issues and misconduct.

There were no witnesses or corroborating evidence to support the allegation that Hooper had force-fed a student.

Hooper has been licensed since 2017. He holds a preliminary teaching license, with endorsements in special education for pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, which was valid through January 2025 according to the report. According to the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission online records, his license is valid through January 2030.

Regarding the allegation of corporal punishment, Hooper said he was falsely accused. In a rebuttal letter attached to his reprimand, he wrote, “These allegations, made by two of my classroom aides, are entirely untrue and misrepresent the events that took place that day. I wish to provide a clear, factual account of the situation and reaffirm my commitment to professional conduct and student safety.”

He explained that the student was having a difficult morning and was behaving aggressively that day. When the student returned to the classroom in the afternoon, he began throwing items and pulling staff members’ hair. Hooper temporarily calmed the student. When the student pulled his pants down soon afterward, Hooper intervened, dressed the student again and escorted him out of the classroom.

“One of the aides stated that she saw me swing my hand in a spanking motion but did not hear any contact. The other aide suggested that any movement may have been ‘toddler taps’ but also could not confirm hearing any sound of a spank,” Hooper wrote. “Given that a coat was obstructing their view and that I was solely focused on securing (the student’s) pants, their observations are speculative at best…There were other adults and students present in the room but none reported witnessing any inappropriate contact.”

Hooper has taught for 38 years in special education, he said.

“Being fully aware of the potential dangers we experienced with (the student) on a daily basis, it was my responsibility to keep staff and students safe. Unfortunately, my aides were not adequately trained to work with (the student), and mistakes were made. I did my best to support them, but with 18 other high-needs students also requiring my attention, and no official prep time, there was limited time for me to assist in their training,” Hooper wrote. “I believe that the aides were overwhelmed by the daily challenges of working with (the student) and may have misinterpreted my actions in the chaos of the moment.”

Hooper said the allegations that he force-fed a student, flicked a student on the neck and screamed at students and staff were all untrue.

“These allegations misrepresent my actions and do not reflect the care, integrity and commitment I have upheld throughout my career,” he wrote. “While I have signed the public reprimand to put this behind me as I near retirement, I appreciate the opportunity to attach this letter to clarify the facts.”

The Teacher Standards and Practices Commission also ordered that Hooper complete an anger management course and a classroom management course within the first six months of his probation.

“Licensed educators are held to high standards of professional practice and ethical conduct to ensure the safety and well-being of students,” said district officials in a statement. “The Redmond School District followed all required protocols and conducted a thorough review in accordance with state and district procedures and took appropriate actions. The District is satisfied with the resolution of this matter.”