New York City NY June 25 2013 Dozens of sexual predators are still working in New York City schools because of a broken disciplinary system that allows abusive staff members to keep their jobs, says a new advocacy group headed by former CNN anchor Campbell Brown.
Data obtained by Brown and the Daily News show that officials tried to fire 128 school staffers for sexual misconduct or inappropriate relationships with students since 2007 — but only 33 educators were actually fired.
Many of the school workers busted for creepy classroom behavior have been able to hang onto their jobs for years because of a cumbersome disciplinary process, charges Brown’s statewide group, the Parents Transparency Project.
“The details of these cases are hidden,” Brown said. “Many parents have no idea whether one of these teachers has been entrusted with their children.”
State law mandates that an independent hearing officer, selected by the city and the teachers union, determines the punishment of an educator found to have committed misconduct.
Such a hearing, called a 3020-a, is a minitrial with attorneys on both sides arguing before the state-paid arbitrator, often a retired judge.
Sex abuse in city schools grabbed headlines again last week with the arrest of hulking Bronx teacher Anthony Criscuolo, 40, who is accused of raping one of his 10-year-old students.
Criscuolo had a clean disciplinary record when he was arrested, but he had reportedly put a ring on the finger of his alleged victim, danced suggestively with her in class and took kids on unauthorized outings — the type of creepy, yet not criminal, behavior for which the city should be able to fire educators or remove them from the classroom, Brown’s group says.
The Parents Transparency Project, which also includes Horace Mann Survivors Group member Joseph Cumming on its board, is set to launch an ad campaign Monday to pressure union leaders, city officials and state lawmakers.
Only a tiny fraction of educators brought up on firing charges are terminated. In the 2011-12 school year, 223 were charged with all types of misconduct, but only 17 were fired.
Critics believe the state-mandated hearing process — in which educators who have already been found guilty of misconduct are doled out punishment by independent arbitrators — too often lets dangerous predators keep their jobs.
Former Stuyvesant High School librarian Christopher Asch was busted by city Education Department officials for “inappropriate touching” in 2010. During the investigation, Asch admitted he attended two meetings of the North American Man/Boy Love Association, which advocates for legal sex between men and young boys.
But a state hearing officer gave Asch only a six-month suspension.
Asch was later arrested as part of the “cannibal cop” probe, and was charged with plotting to kidnap, torture and rape women and children.
He’s now finally off the city payroll.
Plenty of other creepy city educators have hung onto their jobs despite committing disturbing acts.
In the spring of 2012, Education Department officials sought the termination of 16 city teachers, including one who bent a kid over a chair and thrust into him from behind, another who wouldn’t stop calling girls in his gym class “sexy,” and one who told a student, “I slept with your mother last night.”
All the teachers retained their jobs, getting only suspensions and fines from arbitrators. Two voluntarily left the school system.
Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott said arbitration leaves potentially dangerous staffers working in city schools when they should be fired.
“If it were up to me, these people would never [set] foot in one of our schools again,” Walcott said.
United Federation of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew said “teachers believe in zero tolerance on the issue of sexual misconduct with children,” and noted that teachers found guilty in a criminal court of sex crimes with children are immediately terminated.
But Walcott said it shouldn’t take the criminal justice system to give the city the right to fire employees it says are pervs.
“Just because an act falls short of being criminal doesn’t mean it’s okay to allow this behavior in our schools,” he said.
Legislation that would give city education officials, instead of state hearing officers, the power to fire creepy educators was introduced with much fanfare in May 2012 — but it has stalled in Albany, and Walcott blames the teachers union.
“It’s obscene that a union representing our teachers fought a critical measure designed to protect our children,” Walcott said.
Mulgrew fired back that Walcott should “stop playing the blame game.”
"Thanks to changes made by the United Federation of Teachers … this administration has the broadest powers in the state to suspend, investigate and prosecute people accused of sexual misconduct,” he said, addressing Walcott directly. “Do your job.”
OTHER BAD APPLES
Andrew Troup of PS 96 in the Bronx was accused ot telling a student he loved her and dreamed about her, and of showing up at her house. Troup's arbitrator thought he was too friendly with the girl, but didn't cross a line, and instead found he was a "valuable assset to the school."
Willy Laraque, a gym teacher at George Washington Carver High School in Queens, allegedly bent a kid over a chair and thrust at him from behind, saying, "I'll show you what it is to be gay." An arbitrator said his conduct was "unbecoming a professional and constitutes misconduct," but didn't believe it rose to a fireable offense.
WHAT OUR KIDS ARE UP AGAINST
-New York City tried to fire 128 school staffers for sexual misconduct or inappropriate relationships with students since 2007. Only 33 educators were terminated.
-In the 2011-12 school year, 223 teachers were charged with general misconduct, but only 17 were fired.
-Legislation that would give city education officials the power to fire pervy educators — instead of state hearing officers — have been stalled in Albany since May 2012.
source-www.nydailynews.com
Data obtained by Brown and the Daily News show that officials tried to fire 128 school staffers for sexual misconduct or inappropriate relationships with students since 2007 — but only 33 educators were actually fired.
Many of the school workers busted for creepy classroom behavior have been able to hang onto their jobs for years because of a cumbersome disciplinary process, charges Brown’s statewide group, the Parents Transparency Project.
“The details of these cases are hidden,” Brown said. “Many parents have no idea whether one of these teachers has been entrusted with their children.”
State law mandates that an independent hearing officer, selected by the city and the teachers union, determines the punishment of an educator found to have committed misconduct.
Such a hearing, called a 3020-a, is a minitrial with attorneys on both sides arguing before the state-paid arbitrator, often a retired judge.
Sex abuse in city schools grabbed headlines again last week with the arrest of hulking Bronx teacher Anthony Criscuolo, 40, who is accused of raping one of his 10-year-old students.
Criscuolo had a clean disciplinary record when he was arrested, but he had reportedly put a ring on the finger of his alleged victim, danced suggestively with her in class and took kids on unauthorized outings — the type of creepy, yet not criminal, behavior for which the city should be able to fire educators or remove them from the classroom, Brown’s group says.
The Parents Transparency Project, which also includes Horace Mann Survivors Group member Joseph Cumming on its board, is set to launch an ad campaign Monday to pressure union leaders, city officials and state lawmakers.
Only a tiny fraction of educators brought up on firing charges are terminated. In the 2011-12 school year, 223 were charged with all types of misconduct, but only 17 were fired.
Critics believe the state-mandated hearing process — in which educators who have already been found guilty of misconduct are doled out punishment by independent arbitrators — too often lets dangerous predators keep their jobs.
Former Stuyvesant High School librarian Christopher Asch was busted by city Education Department officials for “inappropriate touching” in 2010. During the investigation, Asch admitted he attended two meetings of the North American Man/Boy Love Association, which advocates for legal sex between men and young boys.
But a state hearing officer gave Asch only a six-month suspension.
Asch was later arrested as part of the “cannibal cop” probe, and was charged with plotting to kidnap, torture and rape women and children.
He’s now finally off the city payroll.
Plenty of other creepy city educators have hung onto their jobs despite committing disturbing acts.
In the spring of 2012, Education Department officials sought the termination of 16 city teachers, including one who bent a kid over a chair and thrust into him from behind, another who wouldn’t stop calling girls in his gym class “sexy,” and one who told a student, “I slept with your mother last night.”
All the teachers retained their jobs, getting only suspensions and fines from arbitrators. Two voluntarily left the school system.
Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott said arbitration leaves potentially dangerous staffers working in city schools when they should be fired.
“If it were up to me, these people would never [set] foot in one of our schools again,” Walcott said.
United Federation of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew said “teachers believe in zero tolerance on the issue of sexual misconduct with children,” and noted that teachers found guilty in a criminal court of sex crimes with children are immediately terminated.
But Walcott said it shouldn’t take the criminal justice system to give the city the right to fire employees it says are pervs.
“Just because an act falls short of being criminal doesn’t mean it’s okay to allow this behavior in our schools,” he said.
Legislation that would give city education officials, instead of state hearing officers, the power to fire creepy educators was introduced with much fanfare in May 2012 — but it has stalled in Albany, and Walcott blames the teachers union.
“It’s obscene that a union representing our teachers fought a critical measure designed to protect our children,” Walcott said.
Mulgrew fired back that Walcott should “stop playing the blame game.”
"Thanks to changes made by the United Federation of Teachers … this administration has the broadest powers in the state to suspend, investigate and prosecute people accused of sexual misconduct,” he said, addressing Walcott directly. “Do your job.”
OTHER BAD APPLES
Andrew Troup of PS 96 in the Bronx was accused ot telling a student he loved her and dreamed about her, and of showing up at her house. Troup's arbitrator thought he was too friendly with the girl, but didn't cross a line, and instead found he was a "valuable assset to the school."
Willy Laraque, a gym teacher at George Washington Carver High School in Queens, allegedly bent a kid over a chair and thrust at him from behind, saying, "I'll show you what it is to be gay." An arbitrator said his conduct was "unbecoming a professional and constitutes misconduct," but didn't believe it rose to a fireable offense.
WHAT OUR KIDS ARE UP AGAINST
-New York City tried to fire 128 school staffers for sexual misconduct or inappropriate relationships with students since 2007. Only 33 educators were terminated.
-In the 2011-12 school year, 223 teachers were charged with general misconduct, but only 17 were fired.
-Legislation that would give city education officials the power to fire pervy educators — instead of state hearing officers — have been stalled in Albany since May 2012.
source-www.nydailynews.com