Edhat StaffBy edhat staff
Santa Barbara High School’s MAD Academy Director will return from administrative leave for the remainder of the year and then will retire following an internal investigation.
The Multimedia Arts & Design (MAD) program has been led by longtime Director Dan Williams until he was placed on leave last month pending an investigation.
In an email sent to MAD students and families on Wednesday, Santa Barbara High School Principal Elise Simmons stated the Santa Barbara Unified School District and Williams came to an “amicable agreement.” Williams will return to work on Thursday, May 2 until June 7.
“Mr. Williams will retire from District employment on June 30, 2019. We thank Mr. Williams for his years of service to the district,” wrote Simmons.
Simmons stated the investigation is a confidential personnel matter but confirms it was not a criminal investigation, reports KEYT.
One could assume this talented and popular man man has been falsely accused of certain actions. The resulting shock being the need for a lot of TLC and rest. False accusations, and assumptions from amateur detective know it alls has caused many a nervous breakdown with associated health problems. Really hope he can sue for this cruelty.
I had a bully of a teacher at Roosevelt Elementary, grade 5. Learned a lot from that teacher, but still remember how she called one of my fellow students (in front of the entire class) “a rotten apple.” One has to strive to see that their kids are raised so that, young or old, they have self-confidence and comprehend that they will be subjected to all manner of adults throughout their lives, bullies and otherwise.
I agree, 2399, that somebody here has to be “in the know” and can provide the actual skinny.
Nobody is under oath & the school district has no sway over comments on EdHat.
I can only tell you what I have heard over the years from quite a few of the MAD academy male students who Dan befriended in an off campus way. Taking them to dinners, having parties at his house where alcohol was allowed, on trips to Costa Rica telling the kids as young as 16 that that was the drinking age and allowing alcohol consumption, late night “wrestling” sessions when he was apparently drinking as well. The stories I have heard would curl anyone’s hair. He’s lucky this is all that’s happening.
“Kind of inappropriate but not criminal”, is an interesting take on the article. If, in fact, he actually allowed teenagers to drink liquor at his house parties I believe giving minors alcohol is unlawful, i.e. criminal.