STATEHOUSE (Jan. 27, 2010) - State Sen. Carlin Yoder (R-Middlebury) and fellow members of the Senate Committee on Education and Career Development today voted in favor of legislation making it tougher for teachers with prior records of misconduct to hide their past.

Senate Bill 242 was introduced by State Sen. Jim Merritt (R-Indianapolis) when reports surfaced regarding secret resignation agreements made between Lawrence Township schools and teachers suspected of misconduct involving students. According to news stories, the district made arrangements allowing four educators thought to have harassed or abused students to resign in exchange for money, secrecy or neutral job references.

 "I give my full support for SB 242, because I feel that this legislation will prevent individuals who carry out these transgressions from moving unnoticed from school district to school district across our state," Yoder said. "We must do everything in our power to ensure our students are safe, including keeping predators out of our classrooms."

Yoder said SB 242 would require school districts to disclose substantiated disciplinary reports to another school district as part of the hiring process and to the Indiana Department of Education (DOE). The legislation also requires school districts to notify DOE of agreements made with teachers to suppress information concerning misconduct or allowing the teacher to resign.

"This is vitally important legislation for the protection of Indiana's school children," Superintendent of Public Instruction Dr. Tony Bennett said. "There remain far too many cases in which schools interviewing potential employees have no means of learning the details of an educator's dangerous history - particularly if a criminal conviction is never obtained or a due process hearing never takes place.  SB 242 closes this loophole, and I commend Sen. Merritt for his leadership in authoring this legislation."

SB 242 would allow school boards to suspend teachers without pay while the district investigates a substantiated report of misconduct, Yoder said. If a teacher is exonerated, the school district must immediately pay back wages and benefits.

Sen. Yoder represents Senate District 12, which includes portions of Elkhart County.

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