School Board member wants tougher screening.
July 30, 2008 - Ambridge School Board Member William Scherfel criticized the district’s hiring process Wednesday before casting the only votes against 16 new hires.
Of particular concern was the possibility of pedophiles seeping into the school system, he said. Scherfel said he didn’t believe any of the candidates were properly screened.“These kids are too important to just indiscriminately hire someone…We already had one pedophile in our school district. We don’t need another one,” Scherfel said, referring to former social studies teacher David Costanza, who was sentenced last year for having sex with a 15-year-old student.TT - David Costanza, 28, is the son of then-school board president Charles Costanza. He was sentenced to six months to two years in county jail - not prison - followed by 5 years' probation for sex with a 15-year-old girl. At the time of his sentencing in July 2007, two teachers testified on his behalf, one of them slated to be the victim's teacher in the Fall.
Employees must have criminal background, child abuse and FBI checks to be considered; administrators interview and make recommendations to the board. Scherfel said many pedophiles don’t have records, and said he would invite a professional firm to discuss other screenings with the board next month.
Ambridge Area School Board President Dr. Bernard Logan chastised the two teachers.
"I believe you lost sight of the bigger picture," Logan wrote. "Mr. Costanza preyed on a 15-year-old girl. She slept at his house. The relationship went on for weeks. ... How you diminished these actions and testified to his positive contributions, while this girl, the victim, with her family, sat in the courtroom, is beyond my understanding."Entry for Costanza.
There may not be any screening that will accurately predict teachers who will misbehave. However, there should be tougher sentences for those who sexually abuse students. While states like Louisiana, Kentucky and Arkansas are passing laws to criminalize teacher-student sex, Pennsylvania continues such absurd lenient sentences even for the most lurid cases. It's a state where teacher strikes are common (82 in seven years.) But if you want to know why there's no attempt to correct the situation, you need to look at the corruption that starts at the top.
You'd think they would be ashamed that they make New Jersey look almost respectable.
