Park City High School’s dance teacher is suing the school district over its decision to place her on administrative leave after the conclusion of an investigation involving boundary violations and student bullying. The investigation led the state board to suspend her teaching license for two years on Thursday.
Melanie Hiatt had worked part time as a dance teacher for the high school since August 2023, according to documents filed in Third District Court last week. In addition to her teaching contract, she also holds two special assignment contracts employing her as the cheerleading head coach and dance company director.
The two special assignment contracts don’t expire until June 30, but Hiatt received a letter from Chief Human Resources Director Craig Jensen on April 21 placing her on paid administrative leave, effective immediately.
School district officials said on Wednesday they would not comment on the lawsuit or Hiatt’s employment, citing a policy preventing the district from speaking about “personnel matters.”
In the April 21 letter, Jensen reportedly told Hiatt the Utah Professional Practices Advisory Commission planned to recommend the Utah State Board of Education (USBE) suspend her teaching license for two years.
The Utah Professional Practices Advisory Commission (UPPAC) is “a committee of nine educators and two community members charged with maintaining and promoting a high standard of professional conduct and ethics among Utah teachers.” The advisory committee reviews reports of misconduct and recommends licensing changes and disciplinary actions to the Utah State Board of Education, the governing body overseeing the state’s public education system.
The committee’s investigation allegedly stemmed from concerns raised by Hiatt’s previous employer, Providence Hall Charter School, regarding “boundary violations and bullying behavior with a student.”
“According to the letter, the USBE has not yet reviewed or adopted UPPAC’s recommendation,” Hiatt’s complaint says. “The USBE is scheduled to review UPPAC’s recommendation at its next meeting on May 1, 2025, just ten days after the date of PCSD’s letter. Despite the fact that the USBE has not reviewed or adopted UPPAC’s recommendation, PCSD placed Ms. Hiatt on administrative leave effective immediately.”
The letter additionally prohibited Hiatt from being on school property or attending school events.
In documents submitted to the court by Jensen and his attorneys, however, Jensen refers to specific Park City School District policies that outline special assignment contracts as at-will positions, meaning the contract can be terminated at any time.
“Ms. Hiatt is a provisional employee, not a career employee, and does not have a reasonable expectation of continued employment in her teaching position,” Jensen’s response states.
Jensen’s reply also pointed out the district’s concerns regarding the bullying and boundary violation complaint specifically, adding that complaints of that nature are “among the most concerning and significant conduct violations.”
“I concluded, and Superintendent (Lyndsay) Huntsman agreed, that the UPPAC recommendation, which was reached only after a hearing, was a sufficient basis to determine that Ms. Hiatt had more likely than not committed the boundary violation and bullying infractions … and that, therefore, it was in the best interest of the District and its students to place Ms. Hiatt on paid leave pending final action by USBE,” Jensen wrote.
Dozens of high school students and their parents attended a school board meeting on April 8, two weeks before Hiatt was officially placed on administrative leave, to ask the board to reconsider extending Hiatt’s contract. They said she had worked hard to boost the teams to a competitive level and hiring a new coach would potentially gut the program, taking away from the students’ academic and athletic experiences.
“The Dance Company’s end-of-year performances are scheduled for May 1-2, 2025, as a culminating public showcase of the students’ year-long efforts under Ms. Hiatt’s guidance,” Hiatt’s complaint adds. “By removing Ms. Hiatt from her position just days before these performances, PCSD has left the students without their coach and mentor at the most critical point of preparation, causing irreparable harm to the students’ preparation, morale and the continuity of their educational experience.”
In addition to alerting Hiatt to her suspension, the April 21 letter also said her employment would be terminated if the Utah State Board of Education upholds the recommendation suspending Hiatt’s license for two years.
Jensen said in his response he understood the detrimental effect removing a teacher has on students, but if the USBE suspends her license, she would be terminated on the day of the final dance performance.
“Although it is always disruptive to remove a teacher or coach from their job responsibilities, Superintendent Huntsman and I agree that it is in the best interest of the District’s students and less disruptive to those students to remove Ms. Hiatt from her employment duties now rather than on the day of, or day before, the scheduled May 1 and 2 dance company performances,” he explained. “The District has confirmed that the assistant dance coach will be substituting for almost all of Ms. Hiatt’s classes and is expected to be present for all scheduled rehearsals and performances, thereby providing continuity and minimizing the disruption to the District’s students.”
But Hiatt and her attorneys claim the school district erred in placing her on administrative leave before the Utah State Board of Education made a final ruling on the recommendation.
“Defendant’s (Park City School District) employment offer and subsequent contract did not include provisions allowing for administrative leave prior to a final determination by USBE regarding licensing issues,” the lawsuit says. “As a direct and proximate result of Defendant’s breach of the teaching contract, Plaintiff (Hiatt) has suffered and will continue to suffer damages, including but not limited to damage to her professional reputation, emotional distress and potential loss of employment.”
Hiatt then asked for a preliminary injunction requiring the school district to reinstate her pending the Utah State Board of Education’s final decision, as well as compensatory damages and attorneys’ fees.
Third District Court Judge Richard Mrazik denied Hiatt’s preliminary injunction request. The Utah State Board of Education agreed with the advisory committee’s assessment. They suspended Hiatt’s professional license for two years.
The lawsuit is still pending in court despite the ruling on Hiatt’s teaching license.
School district officials said on Friday they still would not comment on Hiatt’s lawsuit or licensing suspension, including Hiatt’s current employment status, because their process is “not final” in addition to “the ongoing litigation as well as the possibility of other proceedings.”