WA revokes certificate of Mid-Columbia teacher. He could avoid jail time for sex charges
A former North Franklin School District teacher cannot teach in Washington anymore, but he’ll likely avoid jail time, after multiple students came forward saying he made sexually charged comments and inappropriately touched them.
The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, Washington’s department of education, revoked the educator’s certificate of Edgar Mendez last year after their investigators determined he had “engaged in acts of unprofessional conduct.”
The school district placed Mendez, 37, on paid administrative leave in July 2022 from his position teaching Spanish at Robert Olds Middle School. Several weeks later, in August, he was charged with fourth-degree assault with sexual motivation and communication with a minor for immoral purposes, both gross misdemeanors, in Franklin County District Court
The court later barred him from coming within 250 feet of the middle school, and the district ultimately fired him in May 2023.
But it’s likely Mendez will have the charges against him dropped. On Dec. 13, 2023, the former educator signed an agreement with prosecutors allowing the case to be dismissed if he was shown to be in compliance with several conditions over a two-year period.
The stipulated order of continuance requires, among other things, that Mendez avoid employment working with children; avoid contact with any minors, including one of his former students; avoid additional criminal offenses; submit to sexual psychological evaluations; and advise the court of any interstate travel.
The court allowed Mendez to volunteer coach a relative’s boys wrestling team, subject to approval from his treatment provider, but it’s unclear if that opportunity ever came to fruition.
The next month, a certified sex offender treatment provider issued an evaluation of Mendez, recommending that he “immediately enroll” in a one-year program and follow a specific treatment plan.
In a January 2024 interview with OSPI, Mendez denied making inappropriate comments to or physical contact with any students.
Mendez held a teaching certificate from April 2016 until it was revoked in June 2024. He still holds a substitute teaching certificate, which does not expire.
His total salary during the 2021-22 school year was nearly $72,000, according to state salary records.
North Franklin School District Superintendent Brian Moore declined to provide comment for this story. His predecessor, Jim Jacobs, jump started the process to revoke Mendez’s certification on Aug. 22, 2022, by filing a complaint with OSPI’s Office of Professional Practices.
Students come forward
Records of Mendez’s comments began as early as the 2019-20 school year, according to OSPI’s report.
He allegedly asked an eighth grade student, “when are we going to f***,” and said she needed sex from him or a man so that she would not be sexually confused.
Two years later, Mendez allegedly made more inappropriate comments to another eighth grader, including saying she looked “thick” from the back and when she was standing at the white board, and said someone needed to “f*** the sexuality out of you.”
He made “multiple sexual advances” on her, according to OSPI. That included allegedly asking her to record herself sucking on a banana and sending it to him on the discrete social media app Snapchat. The student says Mendez sent her “non-educational, inappropriate electronic messages.”
Mendez also had several alleged “inappropriate physical interactions” with students, which included biting a student on the forearm, touching female students’ hair, placing his lower hand on female students’ lower back and hips, allowing a female student to sit on his lap, and rubbing one student’s thighs.
Connell police were tipped off to the case on July 14, 2022.
Washington state Child Protective Services reached out to the department after a relative of the 14-year-old student reported that she was allegedly being “groomed” by a teacher. Court documents claim Mendez made crass and sexual comments toward the teen and had reportedly touched her thighs and butt several times.
The girl told police in an interview she had developed a close relationship with her teacher. She said Mendez was like a mentor or counselor, and that he was “like a safe space for a lot of things.”
But his comments became more brash and sexual in nature, the student says. He began asking her if she was having sex with anyone, and allegedly said that if he was her age he would have sex with her.
On May 18, according to court documents, the girl said he slapped her butt while she was asleep during a movie in class to wake her up. She left the classroom crying. About two days later, the teen said she kicked Mendez multiple times after he allegedly put her legs onto his lap and rubbed her thighs.
She said she became really distant and depressed after her interactions with Mendez.
The former teacher told police in an interview that while he and the student were close and that he often commented on her looks, he never slapped or touched her in a sexual manner. He said it was possible that he touched her legs and might have accidentally slapped her on the butt to wake her up.
