It's been the policy of Hometown News from Day 1 that we don't take a stand on local politics. We don't endorse candidates or otherwise offer our opinion on who we believe to be best choice for public office.

We give you background information on the candidates, report on the issues, give both sides an opportunity to speak, and let the voters decide.

Allegations of wrongdoing by one candidate against another are generally part of local politics in any town. At Hometown News, logistically, it would be impossible for us to look into every claim. We don't have the staff to do much in-depth investigative reporting.

When we get those calls, we ask the accuser to bring us proof, and we'll publish factual information. Usually, we never hear from the person again.

However, last week, a file showed up in our office with copies of documents regarding one of Ormond Beach's mayoral candidates that I found disconcerting.

Among them is a copy of an administrative complaint dated 1993 about current mayoral hopeful Jeff Boyle, then a teacher employed by the Volusia County School District, from Betty Castor, who was state education commissioner at the time.

The complaint outlines several allegations against Mr. Boyle: that he purchased alcohol for a student who wasn't of legal drinking age; that he kissed the student and told her he loved her; and that he had intercourse with the student on several occasions during the 1980-1981 school year. The complaint states that he and this student married in 1984 and divorced several years later. The complaint also states that in the 1988-89 school year and again the 1991-92 school year, Mr. Boyle demonstrated "inappropriate and unprofessional conduct" with two other female students, which included writing notes to one of the students and giving her an audiotape of songs, and kissing the other student. The names of the students are redacted in the documents.

In one of the letters, Mr. Boyle addressed the choice of songs on the tape, which included titles such as "Waiting for a Girl Like You" and "Nothing Can Come Between Us," saying that they were all "carefully chosen." The complaint from the state education commission describes the songs as "sexually suggestive."

I wouldn't characterize the songs that way, but they certainly seem to convey a more personal message than is appropriate between a teacher and a student.

In his investigative report, the school district's chief personnel officer writes that Mr. Boyle confirmed he wrote the notes to the student.

The complaint states that Mr. Boyle was reprimanded about his conduct in 1989 and warned more serious disciplinary action would follow if it happened again.

In 1992, he was suspended and notified that the school district was going to initiate termination proceedings against him. He was given notice in a letter from the district superintendent that a hearing would be held so that he could answer the charges. Within two weeks, he resigned his position.

Our policy at Hometown News has not changed. But in my professional opinion as managing editor, I don't think the story we ran this past week offered enough information about these allegations. I don't know if the "poor judgment and unprofessional conduct" that the schools' chief personnel officer cited in his 1989 reprimand has any bearing on Mr. Boyle's ability to govern the city, but I believe voters should know.

When I went to inform him we would be publishing information from the file, Mr. Boyle said that the allegations stem from his ex-wife. I don't know what he means by that, since there are copies of statements from a number of people, including the two other students in addition to his ex-wife. Mr. Boyle says he believes his opponents, and he doesn't know who's behind publishing the file, don't have any real issues to discuss, so they are bringing up issues from his past.

I have since discovered there is a Web site, ormondbeachvote.com, with copies of the same documents contained in the file we received. There's also a pretty active blog on a site called radiofreevolusia.com. The information is out there, and has been for a number of years. In Mr. Boyle's 2005 run for city commission, someone published the documents anonymously. However, we've never reported on it further than asking Mr. Boyle if he'd like to respond to the allegations. He replied that the questions involving the allegations have already been answered.

Did Mr. Boyle's ex-wife make her statement back in 1992 to get back at him for some reason?

I would find that more believable if I hadn't read the statements of the other students, another teacher, the guidance counselor, the principal, the district superintendent and Mr. Boyle's own letter to the principal saying the students "initiated a number of contacts with me."

As a community newspaper, we have a responsibility to inform you about who your future leaders are. What you do with that information is, and always has been, up to you.

Tammy Raits is vice president and managing editor of Hometown News.