Former Brandon teacher's certificate taken for emailing student with 'sexual undertones'
Three people have had their teaching certificates revoked in the last couple of months, according to an update of the South Dakota Department of Education’s educator disciplinary actions website last week.
Adam Zabih, Lanny Gabbert and Shanna Ries had their teacher certificates revoked effectively in August, according to the update.
Former Brandon Valley teacher communicated with students including ‘sexual undertones’
Zabih started teaching physical science and chemistry in the Brandon Valley School District in 2020. He was placed on administrative leave with pay one week prior to his resignation on Nov. 22, 2022, according to the document revoking his teacher certificate.
He was placed on leave after a student reported to the district two other students saw Instagram messages from Zabih to girls in the school’s dance program, and that “Zabih hits on his girlfriend in class,” according to the document.
After the district interviewed seven students and examined Zabih’s email communications with one student, district officials notified Zabih he was put on leave, that his K-12 email was being shut down, that he wasn’t able to come to any school district facility and wasn’t to contact any students, according to the document.
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His email communications with the students were described by the South Dakota Professional Teachers Practices and Standards Commission as improper, unprofessional and “included sexual undertones,” according to the document.
The commission found Zabih communicated with students outside of school hours, late at night, in the summertime and about topics unrelated to their education.
His teaching certificate was immediately and permanently revoked Aug. 16.
Former Henry teacher had inappropriate relationship with 16-year-old student
Ries was the middle school language arts teacher in the Henry School District for four years, and was the oral interpretation coach for the 2022 season in the district.
She added students from her oral interp team on Snapchat to communicate with them during the season, which ended December 2022. She continued to communicate with one of her former oral interp students, who was also in her eighth grade class, over Snapchat in January 2023, according to the document revoking her administrator certificate.
In February, “conversations with that student turned romantic,” according to the document. The student was 16 at the time. He came to Ries’ home Feb. 28, where she performed oral sex on him and engaged in sexual intercourse, according to the document. The student also reported an additional incident where he and Ries kissed in the staff lounge of the school in February, according to the document.
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On March 5, Ries admitted she had an inappropriate relationship with a high school student and then resigned. She also self-reported this information to the Codington County Sheriff’s Office, which notified the district of Ries’ admittal. She was arrested that date on the charge of sexual contact with a child under 18, and sexual exploitation of a minor, according to the document.
“Ries self-reported this instance because of guilt of knowing she did something wrong,” according to the document.
Ries’ administrator certificate was immediately and permanently revoked Aug. 25.
She was sentenced Aug. 30 to serve one year at the state penitentiary on the charge of sexual contact with a child younger than 18 by a person in authority, according to court records. The prosecutor dismissed charges of three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, and dismissed a charge of a second count of sexual contact with a child younger than 18 by a person in authority, according to court records.
Former North Dakota teacher can’t teach in South Dakota either
Gabbert had an administrator certificate valid from July 31, 2018 to July 1, 2023. The time his certificate was valid overlapped with his 10-year career at Williston High School in Williston, North Dakota, from which he resigned Oct. 22, 2020; his time at Alexander Public School in Alexander, North Dakota from Jan. 4, 2021 to May 20, 2021; and, his employment at Ray Public School in Ray, North Dakota from August to October 2021.
Gabbert’s incidents in Williston included several reprimands, such as yelling at a student and not apologizing to her after he was directed to do so; a reprimand for inappropriate comments made to his supervisor; saying the N-word approximately six times during class; saying the F-word to students in class; and, routinely falling asleep while the class watched movies, according to the document revoking his certificate.
While working as a math teacher in Alexander, Gabbert received a formal letter of reprimand from his principal stating he’d failed to leave adequate lesson plans or appropriate homework for substitute teachers; had shown an inability to adequately prepare for classes; was losing student assignments or not grading them; and, overall, not supporting students, according to the document.
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In Ray, Gabbert received a formal letter of reprimand from the superintendent stating the school had received several reports from students and parents concerning his conduct, including that he’d sworn multiple times in the classroom, told students to “shut up and sit down,” called students idiots, had offensive conversations about how men view women, and more, according to the document.
After a variety of incidents at those schools, the Education Standards and Practices Board in North Dakota reviewed Gabbert’s file and decided to suspend his teaching license until July 31, 2022.
After he didn’t comply with ESPB requirements, the South Dakota Professional Administrators Practices and Standards Commission followed suit with their sister commission to the north, and Gabbert’s South Dakota administrator certificate was immediately and permanently revoked Aug. 23.
This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: 3 South Dakota educators have their certifications revoked
