Friday, March 29, 2024
39.0°F

Ex-teacher gets short jail sentence

by Ralph Bartholdt Staff Writer
| February 22, 2018 12:00 AM

COEUR d’ALENE — A former Coeur d’Alene teacher who pleaded guilty to two counts of injury to a child will serve 10 days in jail despite an argument from his defense attorney that the jail term is not warranted, and it wasn’t included in the sentencing agreement.

Jeffrey Kantola pleaded guilty last month to two misdemeanor counts of injury to a child, which was reduced from a felony charge of lewd conduct with a minor.

Kantola had maintained his innocence since being indicted on the felony sex charge early last year.

The former Lake City High science teacher was accused by a grand jury of molesting a child outside of school. The charge carried a maximum sentence of life behind bars.

After prosecutors and defense attorneys mediated the case, however, the state agreed to reduce the charge to a misdemeanor.

A conviction of misdemeanor injury to a child can have penalties ranging from probation to a year in jail.

Kantola accepted the plea bargain, which called for two years probation. At Wednesday’s sentencing in First District Court, prosecutors pressed for a jail term despite having agreed to probation.

The recommendation came after deputy public defender Christopher Schwartz told the court that his client had been falsely accused, that the evidence presented to a grand jury had been scant and there was no evidence of physical contact between his client and the alleged victim.

“The only conduct Mr. Kantola is being sentenced for here today is an inappropriate comment,” Schwartz said Wednesday. “There was no physical contact.”

Prosecutors, however, pointed to a police report that alleged Kantola had touched the victim’s breast and buttock. Schwartz said the report was wrong.

“The state agreed it could not proceed on that,” Schwartz said. “Those police reports were not accurate and ... why the state got from a possible life sentence to a misdemeanor.”

Senior Judge Robert Burton sentenced Kantola to 180 days in jail with 140 days suspended and 30 days discretionary jail time to be implemented if Kantola violates terms of his agreement. Burton allowed Kantola to serve his 10 days on a sheriff’s labor program.

The accusations that led to the misdemeanor charges surfaced after Kantola, a former chiropractor, was placed on leave by the Coeur d’Alene School District in October 2016, when parents learned he had been prohibited from being a chiropractor in Washington because of sexual allegations.

He was placed on leave by the Coeur d’Alene School District before resigning with a $30,000 settlement. He was indicted six months later on the felony.