A 62-year-old P.E. teacher at Skykomish K-12 School pleaded not guilty to charges of raping a student as the school reopened Monday for the first time since his arrest.
Daniel Bubar was arrested by deputies at the school on March 6 following an investigation into accusations of sexual assault.
Bubar is accused of performing multiple sex acts with a young teenage girl at the school over a two-year period.
The school, which serves students from kindergarten through 12th grade, remained closed for several days following the arrest before resuming classes this week.
Amie Zerger, a parent of two students at Skykomish K-12 School, said the community felt deceived by the teacher.
“My son he’s in the eighth grade, he’s gone here the whole time that Mr Bubar was a teacher, and he had us fooled. We thought he was a great teacher,” Zerger said.
Zerger expressed anger regarding the nature of the charges brought against the longtime staff member.
“I would have never in a million years thought he was a predator, a bad person. That waste of air, that’s what he is, he deserves to be behind bars for the rest of his life,” Zerger said.
Parents have also turned their attention toward school leadership following the arrest.
Superintendent and Principal Destry Jones is facing criticism from families who are questioning how the conduct was allowed to continue for two years.
Zerger asked, “How angry would you be if you found out your child was going to a school with a pedophile in there, and other staff members probably knew about this?”
Jones released a written statement last week addressing the situation. He said the administration is aware of the “hurt and anger” in the community. Jones stated the school is “committed to immediate steps to ensure all students are safe and protected, now and for the future.”
Attempts to reach the superintendent for a direct interview on Monday were unsuccessful. When asked if Jones would be available to speak at any point during the day, school staff stated he was not available.
Zerger said many families want the superintendent to leave his position.
Some parents have indicated they will not send their children back to the classroom until Jones is no longer leading the school.
Superintendent Destry Jones said the school is committed to taking immediate steps to ensure student safety moving forward. The administration has not yet released a specific timeline for these safety measures or addressed the parental demands for leadership changes.