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PVCC moves to fire professor over relationship
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Michael Todd
Andria Ziegler
Efforts began Thursday to fire a Paradise Valley Community College professor for having an inappropriate relationship with a female student who administrators suspect died of a drug overdose.
Student found comatose in professors home
PVCC professor was investigated in 2002
SPECIAL REPORT: Tribune looks into sexual misconduct in schools
PVCC President Mary Kathryn Kickels recommended to Maricopa County Community College District Chancellor Rufus Glasper that psychology professor Michael Todd be terminated from his job for the alleged relationship.
College officials delivered a letter to Todd's Phoenix residence on Thursday informing him of his pending termination.
In a statement, Glasper said that Todd, 51, a professor at the college since 2000, had violated the district's policy prohibiting "amorous relationships" and violated professional standards.
Andria Ziegler, 19, a freshman and one of Todd's students for the last two semesters, was discovered in a comatose state in Todd's home by paramedics about 2:30 a.m. April 20.
She was pronounced dead about 30 minutes later at John C. Lincoln Deer Valley Hospital, according to Phoenix police.
In the letter delivered to Todd's residence, Glasper stated that an investigation showed there is reason to believe that Ziegler was reported to be at his residence on April 15 and late on April 19 and into the early morning hours of the next day.
When Todd called paramedics to his house to report the apparent drug overdose, he denied knowing Ziegler and failed to provide any item of her identification, according to Glasper's letter.
Todd also failed to notify his supervisors of the incident, the letter said.
Ziegler's cause of death is pending completion of toxicology reports, according to the Maricopa County Medical Examiner's Office.
Phoenix police said Thursday they are investigating the incident as an unknown death.
Todd is not a suspect in Ziegler's death, and no suspects are being pursued in her death, according to Phoenix police Detective Stacie Derge.
Neither Todd nor his attorney could not be reached for comment.
Todd was placed on paid administrative leave by the college on April 22 after Ziegler's parents, Doug and Kimberly McManus of Phoenix, called college administrators to inform them of their daughter's death.
Todd has five days to appeal his pending termination, according to MCCCD spokeswoman Chris Chesrown. If he does so, he can request a hearing before the MCCCD governing board.
Todd's nine-month salary with the college was $70,785.
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