Shallbetter sentenced for dumping water on Banducci

COEUR d’ALENE — A former North Idaho College instructor who dumped a bucket of soapy water on Trustee Todd Banducci last year will spend at least three days in jail.

Zachary P. Shallbetter, 40, of Spokane, pleaded guilty in January to disorderly conduct and malicious injury to property, both misdemeanors.

First District Judge John A. Cafferty sentenced Shallbetter on Tuesday to 180 days in jail for each misdemeanor and suspended all but five days for malicious injury to property and all but four days for disorderly conduct, with one day credit for time served.

Shallbetter must serve three days in jail for disorderly conduct; he is scheduled to report to jail in March. For malicious injury to property, he may choose to spend four days in jail or work two shifts with the Sheriff’s Labor Program. He must pay a $500 fine for each offense and pay restitution to Banducci in the amount of $2,336.46.

The charges stem from May 2023, when Shallbetter’s one-year special appointment as an assistant professor at NIC teaching web and graphic design ended.

Shallbetter told police he had completed his exit interview shortly before he went to Banducci’s office and said he believed policies enacted by Banducci were the reason he wasn’t hired back at the college.

He arrived at Banducci’s workplace, asked if the trustee was present, then grabbed a bucket of soapy water that was being used for cleaning windows. He went into Banducci’s office and threw the water over Banducci, soaking him and damaging his office equipment, according to court records.

Banducci told the court Tuesday that the incident had a major impact on him and his employees, as well as the cleaning staff who were present.

“As a veteran and having served my country for many, many years, it brought on feelings that are very difficult,” he said, adding that he was caught by surprise when Shallbetter dumped the water on him. “I didn’t know for a second if I was fighting for my life.”

He told police he was “in fear and felt frightened,” according to court records, so he grabbed Shallbetter by the arms and held him on the ground.

A witness said Shallbetter turned to leave after throwing the water and Banducci followed and tackled him. The same witness said he pulled the two men apart, got on top of Shallbetter, put his hands around Shallbetter’s neck and choked him. 

Banducci said he was “scuffed up and bleeding” after the altercation. Police observed red marks on Shallbetter’s neck and Banducci’s forearms.

The court-ordered restitution represents only a fraction of the expenses Banducci incurred as a result of the altercation, he told the court. Shortly after the incident, Banducci said he was evicted from the office building where his business had been located and lost about a week of work while he struggled to find a new space. He said he pays higher rent for the new office space.

“It was a very stressful time,” he said.

In court Tuesday, Shallbetter said his actions were “borne from intense emotional strain” but are inexcusable. He said he has completed an anger management class and sought other professional help in learning to deal with his emotions.

Shallbetter indicated he has known Banducci for a long time and said he believes Banducci has harmed NIC students and employees through his actions as a college trustee.

Before handing down the sentences, Cafferty said he took into consideration that Shallbetter made an active choice to confront Banducci at his workplace, even if he made the decision to throw a bucket of water over him in the heat of the moment.

It’s never acceptable for people to “take matters into their own hands” because of an elected official’s decisions, Cafferty said. He emphasized that violence of any kind is not the solution to disagreement.

“You may not agree with (Banducci), but that doesn’t give you the right to inflict harm on him,” Cafferty said.

    Banducci