Melanie Hiatt has coached, taught dance and cheer part-time at the high school since the start of the 2023-2024 school year.
The Park City School District placed Hiatt on leave April 25 after learning her teaching license may be suspended. The leave comes as Hiatt is expected to leave the district, which is cutting two dance classes.
The suspension is a recommendation from the Utah Professional Practices Advisory Commission (UPPAC), which has been investigating allegations that Hiatt had “abused” and “groomed” students when she taught at Providence Hall High, a Herriman charter school.
The allegations are detailed in a 3rd District Court defamation lawsuit Hiatt filed against a former student who took her complaints to UPPAC.
Samantha Barlow reported Hiatt to the commission in 2023, three years after she graduated from high school and after Hiatt had left the school. KPCW is naming Barlow because she is now an adult and her name is in publicly available court documents.
Her complaint put a flag on Hiatt’s teaching license, preventing her from receiving another full-time position.
Hiatt filed her defamation lawsuit in May 2024, alleging Barlow intentionally and maliciously made false and misleading statements to others about Hiatt.
KPCW’s efforts to reach Hiatt and her attorneys by phone and email were unsuccessful Wednesday.
Court papers indicate the Park City School District learned about the investigation in an April 18 email from the commission. It said UPPAC found Hiatt had committed “boundary violations and bullying behavior with a student” while at Providence Hall. Based on the finding, the commission said it will recommend the Utah State Board of Education suspend Hiatt’s professional teaching license for two years.
The documents include the district’s April 21 letter to Hiatt, placing her on leave. It says the decision was made because it is anticipated that Hiatt will have her license suspended at a state board of education meeting Thursday.
The letter also says if the state board suspends Hiatt’s license, her employment with the district will be terminated. It also bars her from being on school property.
The Park City School District declined to comment Wednesday, saying its policy is not to comment on personnel matters.
Hiatt is now fighting against being put on administrative leave in 4th District Court and has asked a judge to order the district to reinstate her. Court papers say she wanted to be able to prepare Park City High Dance Company students for their end-of-year performance May 1 and 2. Hiatt’s attorneys contend keeping Hiatt on administrative leave will cause “irreparable harm to the students’ preparation, morale, and the continuity of their educational experience.” A judge refused the request.
Hiatt and her attorneys also argue the district has violated the terms of her teaching contract and two special assignment coaching contracts by placing her on leave solely based on a recommendation that has not been reviewed or approved.
Hiatt's leave also comes weeks after around 15 dance and cheer students and parents attended a board of education meeting to ask the district to reinforce the dance and cheer programs and keep Hiatt as the coach.
Park City High School plans to combine the dance team class with the beginner and intermediate dance classes. Dance team student Addie Phinney said combining the classes could mean the end of the dance program.
“For many years now, we've tried to improve the dance program and with this, the combination of both classes, the dance program will completely just disappear. I truly believe that,” she said. “This year’s team will also struggle because they will lose the most amazing coach.”
In a statement, the district said the planned consolidation of classes was due to enrollment trends.
While Hiatt is on administrative leave, the assistant dance coach is covering her classes, dance showcase rehearsals and performances.
