Patterson Mayor McCord, accused of misconduct with a student, resigns as schoolteacher
Patterson Mayor Dennis McCord resigned last week as a high school math teacher while facing allegations of misconduct with a student.
McCord still faces a mayoral recall for allegations the City Council has called “serious and troubling.” His resignation from Patterson Joint Unified School District will take effect at the end of the school year, according to a statement from the district.
“Our decision is in the best interests of all involved,” the statement read. “We are committed to student safety.”
McCord was accused in October of responding “Wish I was there” to a Snapchat bikini photo sent to him by a student at Patterson High School, the Patterson Irrigator first reported. A police investigation ended without bringing charges.
In February, the Patterson City Council issued a statement that said council members would not take further action while the school board conducted its personnel investigation into McCord’s actions. He was placed on leave from the school district while the investigation proceeded.
The district’s statement said McCord is afforded certain rights as a permanent certificated employee under the California Education Code. These include the right to request an evidentiary hearing with testimony and potential cross-examination of witnesses in front of a Commission on Professional Competence, according to the statement.
That commission would then determine whether there was cause to terminate a teacher’s employment, according to the statement. If the commission were to find there was not cause to terminate employment, McCord would be returned to his teaching duties and the district would be required to pay his attorney’s fees, according to the statement.
“As a result, the district made the difficult decision to secure Mr. McCord’s resignation, rather than proceed to a hearing,” the statement said.
The district will still report McCord to the Commission on Teacher Credentialing as required, the statement said. That commission will decide whether to take actions such as revoking or suspending McCord’s teaching credential.
“This decision was made in consultation with our legal counsel, after evaluating various factors including Mr. McCord’s right to continued employment, the alleged misconduct, and the expense of litigation,” according to the district’s statement.
Until his resignation takes effect at the end of the school year, McCord will use accrued sick leave and then will go on paid administrative leave, according to Superintendent Philip Alfano. The school board accepted his resignation March 7, Alfano confirmed.
In a statement he issued last month responding to the recall notice, McCord asked people to vote “no” and said the effort was based on unsubstantiated allegations. “The police investigated and per the police, there was no evidence located,” the statement said. “There was no explicit photo.”
McCord said he continues to perform his mayoral duties.
“Over the decades in Patterson, my family and I have helped hundreds of families and I continue to help,” the statement said. “As a teacher, I tutored about a hundred students and put in hundreds and hundreds of unpaid hours to help students. My family and friends know that I am an honorable and ethical person.”
This story was originally published March 16, 2022 at 6:35 PM.
