Four arrested in truancy probe

A crackdown on Orland school truants led to the arrests of two sets of parents earlier this week.

Anthony and Cherrie Hazlett and William and Shannon Anderson of Orland were arrested by Orland police on $10,000 warrants charging them with forging doctors’ notes in a reported attempt to excuse their children from missing school.

Each is charged with a felony count of forgery and Educational Code Infraction for “failure to send a child to school,” court records state.

Anthony Hazlett works for the Appeal-Democrat, which is owned by the same company that owns Tri-County Newspapers.

Hazlett said Thursday that he plans to fight the charges.

“The only school my kids have missed was because they were sick and we had notes (from doctors) excusing them,” Hazlett said in a telephone interview.

Attempts to reach the Anderson family Thursday were not successful.

Hazlett and his wife were arrested at their home on County Road KK on Monday. Shannon Anderson was also arrested Monday at her Colusa Street home, but William Anderson was not arrested until the following day, jail records state.

The Hazletts were released the following day, Anthony Hazlett on a bail bond, and Cherrie Hazlett was released on her own recognizance by a Glenn County Superior Court judge.

Shannon Anderson also posted a bail bond and was released Monday. William Anderson posted his bail bond and was released Tuesday, according to jail records.

Chris von Kleist, superintendent of the Orland Unified School District, said the district has been working closely with the Glenn County District Attorney’s Office to target “only the most chronic offenders.”

“We’re only looking at those kids that are clearly and obviously simply not attending school,” von Kleist said Thursday.

While declining to comment on any specific case, von Kleist said only students missing “more than 30, 60 or 90 days are being looked at.”

“We do understand that a lot of kids have missed school because of this cold and flu season and I want to be clear that we’re not looking at kids that are missing just a few days or that have legitimate excuses,” von Kleist said.

Von Kleist said the crackdown on truants is part of the “Attendance Improvement Program” implemented last year. Hazlett confirmed receiving multiple warnings by district truant officer Terry Dean prior to their arrest.

The school receives about $35 per day for each child that attends class, von Kleist said.

While acknowledging that losing average daily attendance money through chronic truancy is part of the issue for a district that may be forced to make deep budget cuts next year, von Kleist insisted that the larger issue remains educating children.

“Kids can’t learn if they’re not in school,” von Kleist said.

Hazlett said he was “not too sure” exactly what authorities believe was forged, but said he was told it was one of the doctor’s notes written in January.

“But, I still don’t know which note it was,” Hazlett said. “I’m still trying to figure it out, but they didn’t give us too much information.”

Hazlett was also not sure which of his two children, ages 12 and 14, is considered truant.

“They’ve both missed about the same amount of time, but I don’t think it’s even been 30 days,” Hazlett said.

Each of the four cases is being prosecuted separately, authorities said.

Anthony Hazlett and Shannon Anderson are due back in court March 30 for arraignment.

Cherrie Hazlett pleaded not guilty Tuesday and is due back in court April 7 for a preliminary hearing

William Anderson is set to appear for arraignment April 20.

The District Attorney’s Office could not be reached for comment Thursday.