State board Director of Public Affairs Sharon Turner confirmed the suspension in a phone call to KPCW Friday. The board’s decision was made Thursday afternoon in a closed meeting.
Melanie Hiatt has coached and taught dance and cheer part-time at Park City High School since 2023. She told KPCW Friday she and her attorneys are in the process of appealing the suspension.
Hiatt claims the Utah Professional Practices Advisory Commission (UPPAC) failed to meet the standard of proof for civil cases. The commission has been investigating allegations that Hiatt behaved inappropriately with students years ago when she taught at Providence Hall High, a Herriman charter school.
“[UPPAC] based it off of one student and literally ignored hundreds, and when I say hundreds, I mean actual hundreds of students’ statements in testimonies,” she said.
Hiatt said the state board has said they haven’t had any similar cases, and the two-year suspension was seemingly arbitrary.
“We presented about 50 separate cases of comparable allegations that earned letters of warning or letters of reprimand,” she said. “It’s just outrageous that they would give me a two-year suspension.”
The Park City School District placed Hiatt on paid administrative leave April 21 after learning the state board may suspend her license. That’s according to a copy of the district’s letter to Hiatt included in a legal challenge of the decision the dance teacher filed in 3rd District Court.
The documents also say UPPAC found Hiatt had committed “boundary violations and bullying behavior with a student” while at Providence Hall.
The investigation was based on a complaint Hiatt’s former student Samantha Barlow submitted as an adult in 2023. It’s detailed in a defamation lawsuit Hiatt filed against Barlow in May 2024.
Barlow’s complaint includes allegations that Hiatt “abused” and “groomed” students when she taught at Providence Hall. UPPAC’s report has not been made public, but Hiatt said the allegations were not substantiated.
“They found that there was no evidence of criminal activity, there was no evidence of grooming, that there was no evidence of abuse and yet I get a two year suspension,” she said.
The defamation lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice by a 3rd District Court judge in August 2024 and Hiatt was ordered to pay Barlow’s legal fees. Hiatt’s lawyers have appealed that decision.
Barlow’s attorney, Mary Woodhead, told KPCW Thursday they stand by their position that the defamation lawsuit is without merit.
Hiatt said she can’t discuss the lawsuit beyond saying its result could affect every Utahn with a teaching license.
“Anyone that has a license is going to be affected by this case, which is why we are appealing it directly to the Supreme Court,” she said. “People, students, whoever cannot be allowed to say whatever they want to say against people's licenses without having consequences.”
The Park City School District said in its April 21 letter it planned to terminate Hiatt’s employment if her license is suspended. The district did not immediately respond for a request for comment on Friday.
A full report on the state board’s decision will be available after all appeal opportunities are exhausted.
