State suspends Hayfield teacher's license over physical altercation with student

Jordan Shearer, Post-Bulletin, Rochester, Minn.
·1 min read
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Dec. 19—HAYFIELD — A substitute teacher at Hayfield High School had his license suspended after an altercation with a student in 2021.

According to the Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board, the teacher, Douglas Waldner, held a Pre-K to adult, short-call substitute teaching license. The license allows substitute teachers "to teach up to 15 consecutive days per teaching assignment."

The stipulation order suspending his license was dated Nov. 30. The incident with the student happened Sept. 30, 2021. A representative for the licensing board said she did not have information about whether Waldner had worked as a substitute teacher for other districts during that intermittent time.

"He (Waldner) engaged in inappropriate physical contact with a student who grabbed a pen from licenseee's desk without permission," the PELSB document said.

The document went on to say that Waldner was "horsing around" with a student when he "grabbed the student's forearm and pulled him to the counter and also put his hand on the back of the student's neck and pushed his head down in an attempt to get the pen back."

In addition to having his license suspended, Waldner was convicted of a misdemeanor for disorderly conduct on April 28, 2022. According to the court filing, Waldner is 53.

In order to remove the suspension, Waldner would have to complete a board-approved boundaries training. He also would be responsible for paying for the training.

If the suspension were removed, Waldner would have a stayed suspension for a four-year period.