Disgraced Bothell teacher: Charge him or set up a GoFundMe?

KIRO Radio’s John Curley believes that lessons from “It’s a Wonderful Life” could help in deciding whether or not the disgraced Bothell High School teacher who lied about a suicide attempt should be charged for crime.

Prosecutors are weighing whether to file charges against Cal Pygott, the Bothell shop teacher who confessed to detectives that he injured himself with a hammer and tied a zip tie around his own neck last May because he was under a mountain of debt. He told police he was trying to commit suicide but wanted to make it look like murder because he was “worth more to his family dead than alive.” That’s the same line told to James Stewart’s character George Bailey in the iconic 40s movie.

Related: Son of Bothell teacher says his father is emotionally shaken

Co-host Tom Tangney noted that the lie itself is a fascinating and sad psychological study, where a man trying to preserve his legacy is now involved in a scandal that dwarfed all the good he did during his time as a beloved educator. The incident itself, though, wasted law enforcement’s time.

The pair discussed whether prosecutors should follow up.

John Curley: “No. If he was in the mental state of attempting suicide, he was not making the best choices and because of that I would have mercy on him and simply just waive the criminal part. Plus, I would also start a GofundMe campaign for this guy. Find out how much debt he has. Here is a guy who is apparently a decent human being. He had come to the end of his rope, much like George Bailey, who is worth more dead than alive. Bailey jumped off the bridge and the angel came and saved shim, shows him what life would be like if he had killed himself or had never been born. He has got enough people who liked him. It’s a cry for help, is it not?

Tangney: I would agree that there is no advantage to prosecuting him. Any kind of criminal punishment would pale in comparison to the humiliation that he’s going through right now.

A listener, Todd in Bellingham, wrote to the show with his disagreement.

As a fellow bleeding heart liberal … I have to disagree with you about charges against Cal Pigot. They need to file something or people will think that as long as they have a sob story, they can lie to police without consequences. A charge like obstructing or making a false statement would only carry a small fine with no jail time. He could also be ordered to pay back some of his wages of the BPD offiers that wasted time on the case.”

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