A school board member faces charges of violating protective orders filed by members of his immediate family.
Mark Jamison was elected to the school board in 2023. He turned in his resignation on Oct. 10, a year before his term was scheduled to end. Four days later, he was charged with four misdemeanor counts of violating ex parte protective orders that were granted against him on Sept. 29.
Ex parte orders are short-term, 20-day protective orders. When a person files for an ex parte protective order they must show the court probable cause that domestic violence was committed and the protective order is needed to shield them from further domestic violence.
Haines borough police allege that Jamison violated those orders, which require that he not attempt to contact or communicate with anyone protected under them unless it was through an attorney.
Additionally, he was supposed to stay 300 feet away from the Haines Borough School. According to charging documents, he admitted to police that he twice went onto school grounds and left things in his estranged wife’s vehicle, including a letter to her and snow boots for one of their children.
The charging documents also detail a time he failed to stay the required 100 feet away from one of their children, when he was walking down Main Street. Jamison waved and blew a kiss, despite the protective order explicitly stating visitation is not allowed. He also contacted his in-laws to pass messages to his family, despite being prohibited from using a third-party to contact his family.
Jamison said Saturday he was asking his in-laws to pass along that he loved and missed his children and that he was disappointed that it led to legal action. He said he was attempting to fight for his marriage and care for his children.
According to online court records, Jamison is scheduled to appear in court for long-term protective order hearings on Oct. 20.
Jamison did not return a phone call or email seeking more information on Friday. His resignation cites “personal matters,” according to Haines school board president Shelly Sloper. She declined to comment further other than to say the school board would take up Jamison’s resignation at its next meeting on Nov. 4.
Haines Borough superintendent Lilly Boron was traveling and not immediately able to answer questions.
Jamison’s first hearing on the misdemeanor charges is scheduled for 10 a.m. Oct. 22 at the Haines Courthouse.
The Chilkat Valley News typically only identifies people in stories about criminal cases when they are convicted. But CVN identified him for this story given Jamison’s position as an elected public servant and the circumstances of the allegations.