Wash. schools chief cited for DUI

titoflip87 said on March 24, 2010 at 2:51 PM

glovesnpearls, he wasn't drinking while driving. it stated above, he drank with dinner. While driving home, he was stopped by patrol. Not saying this makes him innocent, just stating facts from above. But a lot of you are saying that if it were a teen, he'd be thrown in jail, one: he's not a teen.. two: a teen would be thrown in jail, because underage drinking is illegal. and another thing said is if he was "joeshmo" or whatever, he'd be thrown in jail... one: he is not your average joe, he's a little higher in the chain than joe, two: this is probably his first offense, and the officer saw that he was probably very cooperative, and no reason to take him to jail for holding. I think some of you need to read this a little better. He's a fairly smart man, and i'm sure that he will learn from his mistakes, unlike some of the "joe-shmos" out there. Thank god nobody was injured during this event, but like I said, seeing his background, i highly doubt this will happen again..

joliska said on March 24, 2010 at 12:36 PM

Drinking and driving is irresponsible, no matter who it is. Everyone makes a choice when they drink and drive. It is more likely that that choice could injure and/or kill someone. that is the real issue. It isn't okay to make irresponsible choices, no matter how swell the guy is, and this goes for anyone.

nwnative73 said on March 24, 2010 at 11:08 AM

skok-cush: put down the bottle and step away from the vehicle because REAL men don't do STUPID things like drinking and driving. That is left for the imbeciles/YOU. Grow up or mature up. elvisc1073: ridiculous comment! It is his personal life when he keeps it in his personal environment and doesn't go out on public roads. As soon as he drove his vehicle onto that shared public road, it became ALL our business. Where do these friggin people come from??

elvisc1073 said on March 24, 2010 at 10:25 AM

Leave the poor guy alone!!! I don't think he was right for drinking and driving but he is aloud to have a personal life. Judge him on his job performance and not his personal life!!!

skok_cush said on March 24, 2010 at 10:03 AM

No Big Deal. I mean the saftey nazi's are gonna go nuts. The reality is he is a normal guy, and every real guy gets a DUI. He's got my vote, if i were able to vote for him (i know he's not a politician)

nwnative73 said on March 24, 2010 at 7:59 AM

How late was he eating dinner when he was drinking his beer in order to blow a 0.11 at 1:30am? Or how many beers did he drink with an earlier dinner? If you have had that many beers to blow that high, the responsible decision would have been to have someone else drive or take a cab. There are no excuses and that is just what he did...made excuses. He sure found someone to come pick him up when he got pulled over didn't he. Irresponsible and deserving of this backlash. I supported and voted for Mr. Dorn and I am ashamed that I did. You are NOT a good role model to our children right now...and we can use every good role model we can find at this point.

bazwest said on March 24, 2010 at 7:03 AM

Drinking and driving is never a "mistake" it is a choice. Mr. Dorn's choice didn't kill anyone this time...

huckman said on March 24, 2010 at 6:39 AM

Its so important, he was drinking over dinner.(Press Release from Education) Not that he got behind the wheel. There is a perfect explaination for everything in public education in washington state. It goes all the way to the top. Its called Grease. And we have alot of it in Washington State K thru 12

glovesnpearls said on March 24, 2010 at 6:30 AM

__1) "Dorn was stopped at about 1:30 a.m. Sunday on the same block as Orting High School." --- Why was Orting High School also stopped? __2) "Dorn said in a statement that he and his family had attended a community event where he drank beer with dinner and while driving home..." --- Were other people in the car also drinking while he was driving home?___My point is that editing matters. There are quite of few goofs in the text of this story.

lundgren said on March 23, 2010 at 9:03 PM

Make all the stupid laws disappear. Nobody, I mean nobody observe those BS. When is the last time you saw a driver who's driving exactly at the speed limit? When is the last time you saw a driver who completely stops at the stop sign? The guy had a few drinks, so what? Let him free!

wazzuker said on March 23, 2010 at 8:14 PM

I think people need to focus on the facts of the situation, not the "what if he had hit your child?" or "What if it was JoeSchmo or a group of teenages?" A #1: if it was teenagers, ....not legal for them to drink at all, so does not apply in this situation. #2: These statements re: the "What ifs." are exactly what is wrong with the DUI laws and punishments. 9 times out of 10 a person is prosecuted & persecuted for "what if" not on the actual facts and evidence of the case. If you don't believe me, go sit in on any court day when the docket is mostly DUIs. #3: I think those of you who are attacking his character as a person should maybe meet him, look into all the positive things he has done, before insulting the man.

magic said on March 23, 2010 at 6:49 PM

oops corron should be cotton.

tomma206 said on March 23, 2010 at 6:46 PM

Well, hes only human.Deal with it

think said on March 23, 2010 at 6:36 PM

Orting can't afford to prosecute criminal cases anymore in this bad economy. They'd probably plea bargain murder to assualt, and rape to indecent liberties. Pretty soon they'll see them patrolling the streets on horseback!

magic said on March 23, 2010 at 6:21 PM

Wait a corron picking minute, they don't know if he will be charged???? Are you kidding. If this was Average Joe or Common Mary they would have been thrown in jail. This is a complete joke. He needs to turn in the keys. If this was a group of teen from Orting High School the story would unfold very differently. turn in the keys Dorn, step down with your head hanging LOW!!! And to CarlConstantine, you are an idiot. Maybe you would feel different if his drunken operated vehicle had taken the life of your child, your wife, mother, father, brother or sister. Perhaps you know him and he has told you he drinks and drives because of having to deal with "kids" all day. Not what he said during campaign time was it.

carlconstantine said on March 23, 2010 at 5:49 PM

Give the guy a break! It must be frustrating having to deal with kids in Washington constantly making failing grades and bringing embarrassment on the State Superintendent's Office. His job is not easy. Kids are failing to make their schools proud... but they know the lyrics to most pop and rap songs. They also know how to operate complicated electronics devices and video games.

andysmom said on March 23, 2010 at 5:41 PM

Sigh - you make so little sense, huckman. Certainly not defending you nor drunk driving nor convicted persons. We have this silly law regarding "innocent until proven guilty" that keeps getting in the way of lynch mobs.

dasindog said on March 23, 2010 at 5:31 PM

@excoastie, and others. You would be surprised how many people who are arrested for DUI and not get booked. Just because you aren't booked doesn't mean you weren't arrested, it just means they didn't find the person a threat to get back on the road. Most times, a person who gets a DUI is out of the police custody within 90 minutes of their arrest. The most common BAC for people who get arrested is .14%, so it is not uncommon at all for someone with a BAC of .11% to not have to spend the night in jail. Now, if he was not cooperative, or had a BAC of .15% or more, he most likely would have spent the night in jail.

brucelee said on March 23, 2010 at 5:23 PM

What a shame!

huckman said on March 23, 2010 at 5:22 PM

andysmom What are you defending here ? Just tell us what you are defending and which laws and rules applied to people in public education.

browndog said on March 23, 2010 at 5:21 PM

umm....I am confused...."they dont know if the orting court will hold the charges" well I guess I know where I am going to drink and drive. Maybe next time this A hole is drinking and driving in Orting he will hit and kill my little sister crossing a street. Drinking and driving is wrong period, and I love to drink, but I dont drive.

excoastie said on March 23, 2010 at 4:36 PM

Reports were that he was with his family at 1:30 am. How plastered was his wife? And why would he have been released? Not only was he putting other drivers at risk but, the safety of his own children. Bang up job as a parent. I'd say the Orting Police have some issues to answer to as well.

vancewebster said on March 23, 2010 at 4:23 PM

I find the comments purporting to forgive or be sympatric to Mr. Dorn, confusing. Mr. Dorn was pulled over for speeding and as a result of that "mistake" the police Officer determined Mr. Dorn had also been drinking in excess. Perhaps Mr. Dorn was driving a Toyota and it was the cars fault? Or, maybe he was captured by aliens and forced to drink and it was the aliens fault? Those of you suggesting lenience should consider an estimated total of 2,163,210 crashes in the United States involved alcohol. These crashes killed 16,792 and injured an estimated 513,000 people. The cost is a staggering $71,000,000,000. Who pays for that? You do through higher auto insurance premiums. Now lets take into consideration Mr. Dorn holds a responsible position and as such is a role model for your children. You want to drink, stay home! You want to drive, don't drink. You want to hold a public position and drink and drive = You get fired! But with that said, lets see what our Governor will do?

think said on March 23, 2010 at 3:59 PM

Why not? The last time it was a Washington State Supreme Court Justice charged with DUI and hit-and-run. They need to set an example for all of us to follow!

andysmom said on March 23, 2010 at 3:55 PM

Pretty clear, huckman, that you didn't spend enough time learning how to spell, phrase or use proper grammar. Can't blame that on a teacher--can only blame yourself. I trust you do not drink, drive or edit newspapers.

huckman said on March 23, 2010 at 3:54 PM

She must grieve every time a Taxpayer gets pulled over for a DUI. Gov. Chris Gregoire called the event a "very unfortunate circumstance." "I feel sad this whole incident happened," she said. ( Randy getting Caught, that is )

huckman said on March 23, 2010 at 3:49 PM

Welcome to K thru 12 Public Education in Washington State. Now,please don't get your hopes up. Washington State does not hold Adults accountable in Public Education. Just some children. Washington state leads the world in Public Education. The academic success is truely mind boggling. Please look the other way. Randy Dorn is a True Leader. Don't you love your community ? We have different rules and laws for everybody. Every Child in washington state should have a copy of this police report. Children know better, which is why we only hold some accountable. Randy Dorn did not know better and we should not hold him accountable. Save his salary and especially his pension. He probably needs treatment. Which I'm sure you will read out it in the coming months.

wazzuker said on March 23, 2010 at 3:43 PM

Does this situation really warrant calling a man that you more than likely do not know a "scumbag?" Randy is a good man, he made a mistake and I am sure, knowing him as I do, he will handle the situation with class and honesty.

twinchin said on March 23, 2010 at 3:26 PM

.09 possibly a 24 hr. suspension. .10 very iffy on suspension. .11 charge should be laid.

andysmom said on March 23, 2010 at 3:23 PM

There's reasons for teachers to drink - they're called parents.

dougtingvall said on March 23, 2010 at 3:17 PM

Yet another example of hypocrites in government!

trojan33 said on March 23, 2010 at 2:55 PM

Drug tests for teachers? Don't we already have a shortage of teachers?

singlemom2010 said on March 23, 2010 at 2:47 PM

nwnative73 - yes my children know right from wrong!! My point is that everyone is so fast to say that Mr. Dorn is guilty without all the facts. My point is to give the guy the same right in the legal system. My other point was that if people are worried about the example for our children - they need to look at every person that is around our children....that's all.

dasindog said on March 23, 2010 at 2:46 PM

This guy is a perfect human being, he made a mistake, that's what being human is all about.

nwnative73 said on March 23, 2010 at 2:42 PM

Singlemom2010: Didn't anyone ever tell you that two wrongs don't make a right? I hope your child(ren) know that just because there are bad people in the world does not excuse ANYONE from being bad. I don't think drug testing school personnel is the topic of this conversation. Go ahead a start a forum on that and I would be happy to rant in my comments about that topic. However, Mr. Dorn's bad example is the topic of this conversation so maybe it would behoove you to use this BAD EXAMPLE that Mr. Dorn set, as a teaching tool for what your child(ren) should NOT do in the future.

singlemom2010 said on March 23, 2010 at 2:25 PM

Everyone seem so worried about the example this shows to our children...think about this... In some school districts, not sure about all -- the only staff members that are drug tested are bus drivers!!! We trust that our children will be safe! Yes Mr. Dorn does set an example, but before you attack him - think about the staff that are with your children everyday!!!

2lanepavement said on March 23, 2010 at 2:15 PM

Re titoflip87's willingness to give him a chance. Nobody gave my relatives (who shall remain nameless) second chances. Failed breath test? Toss 'em in the slammer. No ifs, ands, or buts. As I've already said, I'm not particularly fond of the .08 blood alcohol threshold. Be that as it may, if the lowly folks are forced to suffer the consequences, then so should the upper crust (if a politician can be described as upper crust). And , yes, I have sped frequently, but to the best of my knowledge, excessive speed wasn't a jailable offense unless reckless driving was also involved.

gofigureit said on March 23, 2010 at 2:05 PM

Blame it on the ah ah ah ah - ah alcohol!

nwnative73 said on March 23, 2010 at 1:56 PM

OH.....EM......GEE!!!! What facts are there to know except that, 1. he was pulled over for speeding, and 2. he had been drinking and was driving. This is insane that there are people on here willing to say "oh well", or "innocent until proven guilty". Sheesh people! Would you say the same thing if this person hit your car or hurt your family or friends?!?! If he was innocent, he would not have been pulled over. If he was innocent, he would have been following THE LAWS!! I don't see police pulling people over for fun, they would be sued. Dorn already admitted his guilt! WHAT EXACTLY ARE YOU DEFENDING???

95b40p3 said on March 23, 2010 at 1:56 PM

The Orting police department messed up. He was stopped for DUI and speeding and not arrested. Is this not how innocent people get killed? What were they thinking to let him go without charging him? John Doe gets nailed, charged then released and it becomes public information. He is an elected official now and has no privacy in this manor. Being the top educator for the state, one would think that he would know better. Hopefully the law will do what is required from here. Unless he admits the DUI, Orting screwed this one up. Go Orting Police Department.

nwnative73 said on March 23, 2010 at 1:40 PM

No!! No "ifs, ands, or butts". Everyone must follow the SAME laws or suffer the SAME consequences. No, I don't speed and if I wind up drinking at any function, I either ask someone else to drive or I take a cab. PERIOD! I am sure there are plenty of drunk drivers that didn't think they were that drunk when they got their DUI either. There is no "a little bit over the limit". Shame on YOU titoflip87. I pay taxes for these public roads just like everyone else and I don't want myself, my family, or my friends hurt by someone who cannot make a responsible choice. And, as a public official, Mr. Dorn deserves all of the comments and opinions from every person in this forum. Just like any ol celebrity. Except, as a public official, us WA taxpayers are actually paying his salary. Mr. Dorn.....YOU'RE FIRED!

chuckstr76 said on March 23, 2010 at 1:38 PM

Like none of you have ever done anything wrong in your life before, How quick you are to condem a person without knowing all the facts.

titoflip87 said on March 23, 2010 at 1:10 PM

I think that all of you are over exxagerating the matter. Yes, driving over the limit is wrong, but how do you know how far over the limit he was?? He could have blown a .09 or a .20, nobody knows! And one time?? He doesn't have a bad history of this, and he wasn't actually arrested, they said they cited him and let him go with another person, meaning they didn't lock him up! Grow up all of you, and give him a chance to explain himself. Maybe he did have a little much to drink, and didn't realize it, and i'm sure 97% of you all who commented speed, regardless of the time of day. And him stating he was at a community function is alright, he's just trying to clarify to some of you that he wasn't out bar hopping or hanging at the strip club. My point i'm trying to make is give him a chance to explain himself, and i'm sure this will be his last time he does this. As a good role model, he learns from his mistakes i'm sure.

ramigo said on March 23, 2010 at 1:10 PM

No, it is not time to RETIRE! It is time to get FIRED and JAILED!

idahohill said on March 23, 2010 at 12:37 PM

Drinking, speeding at 1:30am is how inocent people are killed. Time for this role model to RETIRE!!!

scoty said on March 23, 2010 at 12:36 PM

Willing to accept his resignation any time, this is sad and is not a personal matter as if he was intoxicated he could have killed someone. If you dont resign then you need to be fired. PERIOD.

bazwest said on March 23, 2010 at 12:26 PM

So, since he had "attended a community event" where he drank beer it is ok? If that is what he was implying with his ignorant statement then he is not fit to continue in any office and certainly not one that involves educating out children. For shame! Yet another story here that alcohol companies will not be featuring in any of their cute little gimmicky commercials. At least Randy Dorn hasn't happened to kill anyone yet.

nwnative73 said on March 23, 2010 at 12:19 PM

Shame on you Dorn!! There is no excuse for your poor judgement! You set a bad example for our students with your irresponsibility and I am ashamed that I voted to put you in that position. Consider my support rescinded, I will NOT be voting for you in the future!

andysmom said on March 23, 2010 at 12:17 PM

Let he who is without guilt cast the first stone. Never mind the innocent until proven guilty, never mind you don't know the level of intoxication--crucify him on the spot. And. . .plenty of nonpublic figures get cited and do not spend the night in jail. Way too many people who don't know the facts have way too much to gritch about.

acntrygurl said on March 23, 2010 at 12:08 PM

Hmmm...elected officials... Selling Pot (who cares if he was set up?? He was commiting the crime) Driving Drunk.... Who cares if he was "just over" Over is over Now I know whats wrong with the world....

rayed said on March 23, 2010 at 12:01 PM

It's interesting that the media chose the "lighter" work, "cited" rather than arrested. If he was pulled over and cited for DUI then an arrest is always a part of that process.

allgirlusa said on March 23, 2010 at 11:49 AM

Don't the schools have a 'zero tolerance' policy? ;)

bemember said on March 23, 2010 at 11:40 AM

I have never gotten a DUI, but both of my upstanding-citizen parents have - once, and once only. They learned from their mistake. Years ago while in my youth, I found out that I was drunk AFTER I hit the freeway. I was not used to intoxication, and didn't recognize it until it was too late. It was a long sixteen miles to the next exit (the only option I saw). After eating AND drinking, a person might not realize that they are impaired. Though Mr. Dorn obviously should have turned the wheel over to his wife, presuming she was sober, do you really think that a public figure of his stature would knowingly take the wheel with the risk of being charged with a DUI? He probably didn't realize he was above the limit. Calling him a scumbag is rude and uncalled for, insisting on his firing also flies in the face of his innocent-until-proven -guilty status. Speeding alone, though dangerous, wouldn't have provoked such contempt. It was a serious mistake, but it doesn't make him evil.

2lanepavement said on March 23, 2010 at 11:18 AM

Wish I had been elected to some public office or other so I could imbibe freely and never worry about the inconvenience and humiliation of spending a night at the Graybar Hotel. My guess is the guy probably was less inebrieated than the average NCAA fan leaving his/her favorite public house. Did he qualify for a night of public lodging? Most likely. Did he end up in jail? No!!!!! Do I agree with .08%? No, but that shouldn't really matter. Certain rules only apply to certain individuals Since Mr. Dorn was cited for DUI there is a presumption that the arresting officer had good cause for the charge. I have relatives who didn't get to go home and sleep it off. Doesn't work that way for the rest of us. Apparently .08% is the limit for most, but not all. And to think, I voted for the guy! Maybe we should lower the limit to .05% so as to catch every 16-year-old who gargled with mouthwash before the prom.

clear2copy said on March 23, 2010 at 11:15 AM

Well.. arrest and booking records are public.. all it takes is a call to the Orting PD and request a case copy to find out what really happened

509ifyourelucky said on March 23, 2010 at 11:06 AM

Here is a good reason to fire the superintendent Randy Dorn. He of all people should know better. This is no way a personal matter. I hope he gets fined just like a normal person would.

skyqueen19583659 said on March 23, 2010 at 11:02 AM

He needs to be fired. He is a poor example/role model for our children.

quackula said on March 23, 2010 at 10:55 AM

He Don this is only "a personal legal matter" if you were Joe Schmo then no one would care but since you are in public office it's our business as well. Sorry but you should step down.

pupsncats said on March 23, 2010 at 10:46 AM

Hey Dorn. The legislature just passed a new law where you can now go into a grocery store and drink. Doesn't that send a good message to kids and to all of us? Let's make it easier to get drunk, drive drunk, and suffer no consequences if you happen to be a state employee.

whidbeyjeannie said on March 23, 2010 at 10:45 AM

It seems he also had his family in the car. Unbelieveable. We must continue to hold our public officials to an even higher standard. They have placed themselves into the public as role models. Yes, people make mistakes. Yes, he was probably too macho to let his wife drive. Yes, they were probably too intoxicated to make a reasonable decision about either of them driving and calling a cab. The fact that he also put his own family at risk is just crazy. He may not care about the general public but he really thinks so little of his own family? No different than anyone else I suspose, although when they run for office they would like you to think they are. If his judgements are so flawed for his family and friends I don't believe that his judgements for our children would be anyless flawed.

pupsncats said on March 23, 2010 at 10:40 AM

Great role model Dorn! Why wasn't he booked into jail like other's cited for DUI? Are there separate rules for state employees? Too bad the liberals didn't raise taxes on liquor while raises taxes and fees on almost everything else. Maybe if the cost of drinking was prohibitive, we wouldn't have to worry that every time we drive down the road we might face the prospect of a drunk killing us.

glovesnpearls said on March 23, 2010 at 10:34 AM

This reads: "Dorn said in a statement..." _If this is a transcription by King5 of a statement he read aloud, then the punctuation errors belong to the website. If Dorn released a written statement, he could not have "said" these words. In that case -- if his written statement is posted verbatim hereon -- the errors are attributable to the __State Superintendent of Public Instruction__. Either way, it 'ain't' good.

digiwave said on March 23, 2010 at 10:34 AM

I've posted my belief about Washington DUI laws being so weak before and let's see if this case fits my thinking: Washington DUI laws are weak so that when one of the state officials, be it a legislator, judge or other high position, they don't get very much punishment for their offense. Let's wait and see.

nwcoast said on March 23, 2010 at 10:33 AM

wow only a dwi. some of these comments are from angrywhite people.dont get life and work confused commentors.

clear2copy said on March 23, 2010 at 10:31 AM

"however I hope people will understand and respect that this is a personal legal matter that at this time" EF YOU, scumbag.. the moment you involved the rest of our lives with your behavior, you made it everyone's business.. there is no hiding behind your lawyer's skirt, SH head... god..I'm so fed up with these selfish scum that think they can play with our lives. Convict, Rinse, Repeat..

kbbcoop said on March 23, 2010 at 10:16 AM

we know, we know, you only had 2 beers. must've been the medication you were on, or exposure to paint fumes...zzzzzzzzz...

aziza said on March 23, 2010 at 10:01 AM

We're doomed.

vulcans said on March 23, 2010 at 9:57 AM

He needs to resign. He is supposed to be the leader and example for the school children of this state. By resigning, he shows the children that there are consequences for your actions, often severe ones. Regardless of what the BAC actually was, the fact is, he was arrested for breaking a state law meant to protect the lives of innocent people. He needs to step down.

trucker45 said on March 23, 2010 at 9:56 AM

Considering that the citing happens after you fail the roadside tests and the alcohol breath test it can be reasonably thought that he may have been a dui. Always use a designated driver, how about the wife. Or baring that only have a beer or two and wait a while before driving.

musicfreak said on March 23, 2010 at 9:52 AM

Yeah, I hope you've enjoyed your tenure as Superintendent of schools, because I, and I'm sure others, certainly won't vote for you come November (I'm assuming it's a 4 year term).

graham said on March 23, 2010 at 9:45 AM

The jerk is a BOOZE HEAD, he should teach a booz class in all the schools

lovemondays said on March 23, 2010 at 9:37 AM

another news source said it was 1:30 am....good role model for the children . now they can smoke like Obama, drink and drive....and don't worry about getting enough sleep.

jamey said on March 23, 2010 at 9:27 AM

Remember, Drunking Driving is something YOU should not do. But as one of your elected/appointed/celebrity officials, its okay for me.

lovemondays said on March 23, 2010 at 9:26 AM

why didn't he let his wife drive???????????????? idiot.

jackwong said on March 23, 2010 at 9:21 AM

@blankingout: Agreed, he may be just slightly over. It happens to good people everyday.

graham said on March 23, 2010 at 9:16 AM

Lock this sucker up for a few months

blankingout said on March 23, 2010 at 9:12 AM

Just cause he's cited, doesn't mean he really was drunk...

organdonor said on March 23, 2010 at 9:11 AM

I recommend out patient treatment for 2 years along with attending AA meetings twice a week for those 2 years. Your not allowed to drive a vehicle without an ignition interlock device for 12 months and pay your fines.

dirtydon said on March 23, 2010 at 9:10 AM

He looks like he's half in the bag.