Columbus, OHIO

Watching out for parents one story at a time.

March 29, 2008 - Continuing the newspaper's excellent education coverage, Jennifer Smith Richards in the Columbus Dispatch, reports that Worthington Christian Schools are revamping their policies on sex allegations. Three educators resigned in the past six months because of sexual-misconduct allegations or convictions.

The school commissioned two independent reviews got recommendations from a group of concerned parents and alumni. The changes include an oversight board that will include some members with expertise in law enforcement. Employee discipline will be well-documented and might be shared with future employers. Teachers will be trained on sexual-abuse issues and appropriate teacher- student relationships starting this fall.

A nepotism policy will be drafted that will prevent the repeat of a situation such as that of Dwayne Smith, a science teacher and soccer coach who had been rehired by Worthington Christian despite admitting that he had inappropriately touched a middle-school girl. Smith had been rehired by his father, who was superintendent at the time.

Dwayne Smith resigned days after being highlighted in "The ABCs of Betrayal," a Dispatch investigation that was published in October and revealed flaws in the state's educator-misconduct system.

Within a week of the series' publication, a second teacher and coach was arrested in relation to charges of sexually abusing a student at a previous job in Wisconsin. Jason Crary was convicted in January of four felony counts of sexual assault by a school staff member. He's scheduled to be sentenced Thursday.

In late February, Superintendent Bill Williams resigned after one of the independent reviews ordered by the schools found that he had behaved inappropriately with a student several years ago. Williams disputed that finding.

TT - The newspaper award-winning series ABCs of Denial can be found here. The Columbus Dispatch took first place for hard-news coverage in the national Education Writers Association contest. The paper also won a special citation for investigative reporting for its series about Ohio’s teacher-discipline, the ABC's of Denial.

LICENSE SURRENDER April 8 - Smith is officially is surrendering his license, which the state then permanently revokes, for committing “actions unbecoming to the teaching profession.” Smith was never charged with a crime..

There was never any denial that the school was aware of Smith's misconduct. But in past months, the school has said Smith should not have been rehired. Last week, an official letter of apology was sent to parents, alumni and church members.

“Although we felt we followed biblical principles in this matter and trusted the Lord's promise to forgive and cleanse those who repent, we regret that it has resulted in division and distrust among the WCS family,” said the letter from Executive Pastor Jim Augspurger and Pastor Jim Custer, both of whom were in leadership when Smith was rehired.

“We appreciate the fact that some of you would have made a different decision regarding Mr. Smith. Knowing what we know now, we also would have made a different decision.”

TT - The misguided efforts by the Catholic Church and educrats in public education to arbitrarily absolve priests and teachers of guilt in defiance of established law, is a despicable act of arrogance and the result of unchallenged power and corrupted authority. No apology can suffice for their hubris; no forgiveness is possible for their perversion of power or conceit that diminishes institutions that ought to represent decency. In their arrogance they may forgive themselves, but morality doesn't dictate that anyone else do so.

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