KETTLE FALLS, Wash.- The Kettle Falls School District has released an apology and new information after a delay in notifying parents about a teacher who was arrested for allegedly kissing a kindergartener.
Nathan Ford was arrested on Feb. 8 after another educator allegedly caught him engaging in inappropriate kidding with a kindergartener. Within 20 minutes he was removed from the school. He was arrested by Kettle Falls Police about two hours after the initial concern was raised by a fellow employee.
The public was not notified of the incident by the district until Feb. 12, causing consternation from some parents on social media. The school district responded to that frustration in a Feb. 13 statement.
“We acknowledge we made a mistake in not communicating earlier about the incident at the Early Learning Center (ELC). As a school district we follow legal guidelines concerning confidentiality and want to make sure we have accurate information to communicate,” the district said.
According to the district, Ford worked as a substitute paraeducator in Kettle Falls beginning in November 2022, and was hired for a full time position at the Early Learning Center where the alleged inappropriate conduct took place in June 2023.
The district said that Rural Resources Victim Services spoke with teachers at ELC on Feb. 12.
“The advocates from Rural Resources shared with the staff the importance of maintaining normalcy and schedules for the kids,” the district said.
Ford is currently in Stevens County Jail and is facing a 4th degree assault with sexual motivation charge.
