UW Tacoma professor charged with felony after alleged domestic-violence incident

Yahoo

29-05-2025

A faculty director from the University of Washington Tacoma is facing a number of criminal charges for allegedly threatening to kill his girlfriend and driving under the influence in Kittitas County.
Kurt Dayan Hatch, 55, has been charged by Kittitas County prosecutors with two counts of a protection-order violation, felony harassment, fourth-degree assault and driving under the influence, court records show.
He was arrested at the lodge in Suncadia on May 12.
Hatch is the faculty director of the Educational Administration Program and a professor of practice at the university, according to the school's website where his employee profile is shown.
He has been in the education field for 22 years. Hatch previously served as principal at Mountain View Elementary in the North Thurston School District and a principal in University Place, according to the Association of Washington School Principals podcast website.
'The University of Washington Tacoma has been informed of an employee's arrest. We take such matters with the utmost seriousness, and the University is currently responding,' according to a university communications representative email to The News Tribune.
Efforts to reach Hatch and the attorney listed as representing him in the criminal case were not immediately successful.
Kittitas County deputies were dispatched at about 11:38 p.m. to the area of the Prospector Inn in the Suncadia complex after a woman called 911 yelling, 'Quit hurting me,' while crying. A man's voice was also heard in the background, according to a Kittitas County Sheriff's Office report.
At the hotel, deputies tried to contact the phone number used to call 911, but the woman said she was looking for her dog and everything was OK, the report said.
Cle Elum police officers later found the woman's car parked at the entrance of the lodge, the report said. They also learned she had a protection order against Hatch. Hatch was accused of physically assaulting his girlfriend in November 2024. She had injuries on her body, and he allegedly threw her phone out a bedroom window when she attempted to call 911, according to a probable cause document from Tacoma Municipal Court.
In Kittitas County, officers noted Hatch might have violated the protection order and found him, along with the woman, in her car, documents show. Hatch was in the driver's seat and acknowledged his name when asked. Hatch allegedly said the protection order was not in place. A deputy later noted the restraining order expires in 2029.
Deputies believed Hatch was intoxicated as he had bloodshot, watery eyes, had slow responses and there was a strong order of intoxicants on him, the report said. Hatch submitted to a breathalyzer test and his result came back with .09 and .084 blood-alcohol content result, documents show. The legal limit in Washington is .08.
The woman had a small cut on her chin, and at first said she was 'fine,' when asked about it. She later told deputies Hatch hit her a few times, documents show. He would allegedly start 'backhanding' her to the face as he was driving.
The woman said she called 911 that day after Hatch allegedly hit her and said he was 'going to kill them both by crashing the vehicle' while driving in Suncadia, the report said. The woman said she felt her life was in danger and told herself she would jump out of the car if she had the opportunity. At one point, she opened the car door but did not jump, documents show.
She said Hatch saw the emergency lights from arriving police officers and allegedly drove to the lodge to get away, the report said.
Deputies booked Hatch to the Kittitas County Jail the next day. He has since been arraigned and released on a $50,000 bail.
The university spokesperson encourages any members of the community in need of support to reach out.
'Students can access confidential support through UW Tacoma's Psychological & Wellness Services and the UW Office of the Title IX Coordinator. Faculty and staff can receive assistance through the Washington Employee Assistance Program (WA EAP). Anyone can contact SafeCampus to anonymously discuss concerns about safety and well-being, either for themselves or someone else,' the representative said.