BOTHELL — A former Bothell High School teacher admitted Monday that he faked an attack in May that closed down the school and created a scare for students, parents and neighbors.
Calvin Pygott was sentenced to 20 days on home detention. He also was ordered to pay more than $17,000 in court fines and restitution, the bulk of which will reimburse the Bothell police for their time investigating the case, city spokeswoman Barbara Ramey said.
Pygott, 63, pleaded guilty in Bothell Municipal Court to making a false statement and obstructing police, both gross misdemeanors. He has a month to arrange electronic home-monitoring and two months to begin paying on the fines.
The former shop teacher eventually came clean with police after first weaving a tale about a stranger attacking him in his classroom. Pygott claimed he’d been knocked unconscious and awoke in a pool of blood. He said someone had wrapped a zip tie around his neck.
Another teacher found Pygott, removed the zip tie and called for help.
The school was locked down and the district cancelled classes for the next day. Extra counselors were offered to students when they returned to school. The public was told that police dogs were being used to track the unknown assailant. Washington State Patrol crime lab technicians were called in to assist with evidence collection.
Pygott named students as possible suspects, according to court papers.
Bothell police launched an investigation, reviewing video footage from the school, interviewing potential suspects and submitting evidence to the State Patrol crime lab.
Inconsistencies surfaced between Pygott’s claims and the evidence collected, police said. Detectives interviewed the teacher again. He stuck with his story until confronted with the results of polygraph examination, which indicated he was lying. Pygott then admitted that he’d intentionally hurt himself and staged the crime scene.
He said he changed his mind and made up the story to save his reputation. He told police he was desperate because of financial troubles.
Pygott resigned last month. He’d taught at the school for decades.
Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463; hefley@heraldnet.com.
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