We hope the Oneonta school board didn’t make a mistake Wednesday night when it hired an embattled Unatego physics teacher to instruct high school chemistry classes this year.

That’s because the teacher it hired, John Mushtare, is under investigation for allegedly altering student grades at Unatego, sources say, and the probe is still under way.

It would have been wiser for Oneonta board members to wait until the investigation was complete. The board could have hired a long-term substitute to teach chemistry, and if Mushtare were cleared, appointed him then.

Superintendent Michael Shea and the four board members (out of a regular seven-member board) present Wednesday apparently believe that the allegations surrounded Mushtare are merely rumors. According to sources, the investigation by an outside agency is not just a rumor.

Shea said Monday, "I know there were a lot of rumors coming out of Unatego, many (of which) I find hard to believe." We also find some of them hard to believe.

``No one has expressed a concern over this alleged incident," he added.

Board President Grace Larkin said Wednesday that she had heard the rumors, but "I’m going with facts, and that is that he is an excellent teacher."

Well, we’re glad that Mushtare’s former colleagues support him with good references.

But the facts are that he was dismissed as Unatego football coach July 18 and was facing an examination of his grading record.

Another fact is that Mushtare had several days to return phone calls to a reporter after multiple messages were left on his home answering machine.

Given the allegations against him, you would think he’d want to set the record straight and declare his innocence, or at least explain the circumstances surrounding those allegations.

Mushtare’s appointment begins Sept. 1 at a salary is $49,500, based on years of service and graduate hours, Shea said.

He also said it might have been easier to hire someone who was not the subject of so much discussion.

Yes, it would have. And not only easier, but safer.

We realize Mushtare is not up for tenure for two years and that the Oneonta district could easily dismiss him if the investigation doesn’t go his way.

But with long-term subs and a dozen other applicants waiting in the wings, we believe the Oneonta board should have held off on the hiring.