School Superintendent, Former Baptist Minister Resigns Over Relationship

Although, this started almost a year ago in my own backyard I could not post about it because of my employers involvement in the case. Now that it is resolved here are some of the details as reported by CalCoast News reporter Karen Velie:

An investigation authorized by the San Miguel School Board resulted in charges for terminating Superintendent Dean Smith. Smith, 55 agreed to resign rather than face termination for an inappropriate relationship with a former student.

Smith, a former Baptist minister, recently left his wife of more than 30 years for a young woman he began “mentoring” while she was in the sixth grade. Supporters of Smith claim the relationship did not become intimate until after she turned 18.
Earlier this year, board members took their concerns to the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Department. The investigation, which included interviews with Smith, the young woman and her mother, concluded that nothing illegal occurred.
“We found no evidence of criminal activity,” said Rob Bryn, sheriff’s public information officer.

Smith, when principal of Templeton Middle School, first met and began spending time with the young woman when she was in sixth grade in about 2003. Smith continued his relationship with the girl after he left Templeton Middle School for his position as superintendent in San Miguel. The young woman graduated from Templeton High School in June, shortly after she turned 18 and in July, Smith took her to a San Luis Obispo County Office of Education board meeting. When some of his fellow area superintendents realized the teenager accompanying Smith was not his niece, they began questioning what Smith was doing there with the teenager.