The cost of teacher misconduct gives you a clue why districts desperately want resignations rather than pursue criminal charges, and why teachers are often given plea bargain favors not extended to any other class of citizens accused of the same crime.
Feb 28, 2008 - West Boylston (MA) is reeling over budget woes that include the salary expenses following the arrest and paid administrative leave of high school teacher Scott Simoncini.
At the School Department, Superintendent Thomas Kane said he was hoping that Mr. Simoncini’s situation would be resolved soon so that they would continue to pay for two teachers.The school is having difficulty paying maintence expenses with a maintenance budget freeze. TT entry for Simoncini.
Mr. Simoncini has been on paid administrative leave since Jan. 22, following his arrest for allegedly giving obscene material to a minor. A retired teacher has been hired as a half-time teacher to cover Mr. Simoncini’s two U.S. history classes.
The School Department is also responsible for the $3,500 cost for a substitute to cover Mr. Simoncini’s virtual high school class.
“We’re looking for a resignation from Scott, but one has not been tendered as of yet,” Mr. Kane said. “When I spoke with the assistant district attorney, he said they were trying to work out a plea bargain, and I anticipate that a resignation would be a part of the plea.”
Mr. Kane said the district attorney’s office would likely pursue an indictment if a plea bargain cannot be worked out. “At that point, we could suspend him without pay,” he said.
