Northshore School District officials say Bothell High School teacher Calvin Pygott lied about being attacked in the school’s wood shop.
The Northshore School District has filed an administrative misconduct complaint with the state against Calvin Pygott, the Bothell High School wood-shop teacher accused of falsifying reports he was attacked on the school’s campus in May.
The district reports having evidence that Pygott “deliberately misrepresented” facts of the incident to school officials and police investigators, according to an Aug. 29 letter to the Washington State Superintendent of Public Instruction’s office.
Pygott could not be reached for comment.
The complaint represents the latest step in a controversy that began Aug. 25, when Bothell police announced that Pygott, 63, had admitted to investigators that he’d fabricated his account of the alleged attack on May 19.
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In his initial interviews, Pygott told police he woke up in a pool of blood with a zip tie around his neck after being struck unconscious from behind in the school’s wood shop. A fellow teacher later found him on the ground outside the classroom.
After the incident, authorities temporarily locked down the school at 9130 N.E. 180th St., but were unable to find an assailant. Pygott’s injuries were not serious.
A subsequent investigation by Bothell police found inconsistencies between Pygott’s statements and evidence collected at the scene. In hours of security footage, investigators did not see an assailant, officials said.
According to police, Pygott took a polygraph test that indicated he “was being deceptive.” Confronted with the results, Pygott said he intentionally injured himself, placing a zip tie around his own neck and fabricating other evidence, police said.
District officials declined to comment on misconduct complaint filed against Pygott. In an emailed statement, Northshore School District spokeswoman Casey Henry said Pygott will remain on paid administrative leave until the district can “determine next steps.”
Mike Brown, spokesman for the state superintendent’s office, confirmed that the letter has been received by the department’s professional practices unit.
Officials will schedule an assessment of the complaint to determine whether the district’s accusations warrant an official investigation. The assessment could begin as soon as this week, Brown said.