STATEHOUSE (Jan. 27, 2010) - State Sen. Randy Head (R-Logansport) and fellow members of a key Senate committee today voted in favor of legislation making it tougher for teachers with prior records of misconduct to hide their past histories.
Head said Senate Bill 242 was inspired by reports of secret resignation agreements made between an Indianapolis-area school and teachers. News information states that the school district made agreements allowing four teachers it thought had harassed or abused students to resign in exchange for money, secrecy or neutral job references.
"I believe this legislation could help prevent individuals with a history of misconduct from moving unnoticed from school district to school district," Head said. "We should use the resources available to use to help ensure our students are safe and school administrators know the professional history of a new hire."
Head said the measure 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."
School boards could also suspend teachers without pay while the district investigates a substantiated report of misconduct, Head said. If a teacher is exonerated, the school district must immediately pay back wages and benefits.
Senate Bill 242 will now move to the full Senate for further consideration.
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