School ethics policies

March 21, 2008 - An education task force that included a panel of attorneys, ethics leaders, veteran educators and school system officials was convened by the state schools superintendent to address making educators' licensure and resignation conditions stricter.

At Thursday's meeting, N.C. Assistant Attorney General Laura Crumpler questioned whether the list of possible reasons to revoke a teaching license should be expanded. She also suggested examining what she referred to as "passing the trash."

School systems are not obligated to report to the state if a teacher is caught looking at pornography.

Crumpler said some school systems are hesitant to report reasons behind resignations because it's an effective settlement with teachers they want to get rid of.

Jill Wilson, attorney for the Guilford County school board, admitted school systems do love resignations because there are sometimes allegations you can't prove against a teacher. She suggested reporting those allegations to the state would be futile because "you have no evidence."

"We will decide if we don't have enough evidence," [N.C. Assistant Attorney General Laura] Crumpler retorted.

Wilson also told the group it shouldn't be a crime for teachers and students to have a romantic relationship if the student is over the age of consent and meets a teacher outside of school.

"Teachers shouldn't be having sex with students, period," Toney said.

Audrey Toney is a retired Pender County Schools assistant superintendent who is both part of the task force and on the state superintendent's ethics committee.
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TT - Guilford County School Superintendent role model. entry.
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ONLINE RESOURCE: NC State Board of Education Disciplinary Actions
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TT Some glaring problems with the disciplinary actions:

Travis Thompson, 39,
sentenced Oct 2007 for indecent exposure to a 13-year-old girl, sentenced to probation and registration as a sex offender.
NO DISCIPLINARY ACTION

Rebecca Withrow, 30,
sentenced June 2007 for having sex with an 11-year-old student. Plea called for her to surrender her teaching license. She is a registered sex offender.
NO DISCIPLINARY ACTION

Janet Klatt, 44,
sentenced February 2007 for sexual contact with a student.
NO DISCIPLINARY ACTION

Michael Olliver, 47,
sentenced January 2008 for attempted murder.
Disciplinary Action: Suspended Reason: Convicted of attempted murder
Date: January 2008