04/30/2002

Associated Press

A high school band director was arrested over the weekend and charged with spying on other men in the restroom of a rest stop near Boardman.

Stephen K. Pavletich, 30, was arrested Sunday night and posted bail. He was suspended with pay at Hermiston High School, where he has been band director for the past five years.

School officials learned of the incident Monday morning, and after Pavletich showed up for work, they told him to leave.

Pavletich was arrested at 9:21 p.m. Sunday and charged with suspicion of harassment and criminal mischief, as well as possession of marijuana, said Morrow County Sheriff Verlin Denton.

Authorities were called to the rest area on Interstate 84 after someone reported that a man was following male travelers into the restroom. One of the bathroom stalls had a hole in the wall, with a view of the urinal.

The rest area had two men's rooms, but one had a garbage can in front, with a hand-printed sign stating it was out of order, and to use the other restroom in the next building -- the restroom with the hole in the stall.

After a sheriff's deputy arrested him, Pavletich admitted placing the garbage can and sign in front of the other bathroom, Denton said, but he denied peeping through the stall.

(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)