Ex-Principal Must Serve Time
SPOKANE - A former parochial-school principal who pleaded guilty to assaulting a student was sentenced yesterday Monday to 90 days in jail and to pay a $5,000 fine.
Donald Andrews, 39, initially was charged with child molestation involving a 13-year-old boy at St. Patrick's School. Prosecutors alleged Andrews touched the boy in a sexual manner.
But the boy refused to testify, and Andrews pleaded guilty to a lesser count of third-degree assault. Prosecutors alleged Andrews used his position at the North Spokane school to groom the eighth-grader for sexual abuse. Andrews admitted showering the boy with attention but denied touching him inappropriately.
The Catholic Diocese of Spokane fired Andrews in March 1995 after the allegation surfaced.