After agreeing to surrender his Maine credentials to avoid an official oppression charge, it is unlikely Donald Reiter will ever teach again in any state.
The former Mascenic Regional High School social studies teacher and assistant principal will be “red lined” in a national database of formerly certified educators.
Richard Farrell, investigator at New Hampshire’s Department of Education, said generally that New Hampshire lists this type of surrender as a revocation, and got the impression from speaking with authorities in Maine that it would do the same.
“My impression is that at some point Maine will report a revocation to NASDTEC,” he said.
NASDTEC, the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification, maintains the database and lists educators who have had their certification revoked. It is the only entity in the country where credentials can be posted an available to every state.
Reiter was charged with official oppression when, as principal of Maine’s Waterville High School, he allegedly propositioned a senior student for sex and threatened that she would not graduate. The charge was dropped when he agreed to surrender his administrator and teaching credentials.
“Apparently this plea agreement, if you want to call it that, was finalized last week, and has not been entered into NASDTEC yet,” Farrell said.
Before moving to Maine, Reiter worked for six years at Mascenic Regional High School. After he was accused in 2015, at least one former Mascenic student came forward and reported inappropriate behavior from when he was still at the New Ipswich school.
Farrell says documents detailing information from the case have been sealed, but will be unsealed. When that happens, the full volume of his accusers will be clearer.
Were he originally accused and his credentials surrendered in New Hampshire, he would show up in the database as a revocation.
According to state rule Ed 510.05, when a subject voluntarily surrenders a credential, “the bureau will automatically revoke that credential.”
Additionally, “A statement indicating the educator’s request to surrender his/her credential voluntarily and the reason surrounding the circumstances of the request shall be made a part of the educator’s certification record with the bureau.”
Farrell says that means every state would recognize it as a revocation. NASDTEC would also list the reason for revocation.
Reiter surrendered his Maine certifications in court on Oct. 10. His New Hampshire credentials had long expired, and now he will not be able to successfully reapply.