Passing the Trash

It's called "Passing the Trash." That's what they call the practice of allowing "itinerant abusers" to move from one area to another when trouble arises. Sound familiar? But it isn't priests we are talking about. It's school teachers, and the practice is widespread, according to Education Week in a a three-part series called "A Trust Betrayal " written in -- are you ready? 1998.

I found the report through a Google search. The result of a six-month project, Education Week conducted a survey of 50 states. Assembling a data base based on wire service clippings, archives, computer databases and thousands of news articles from March through August of 1998, they found 244 cases that were active in either criminal or civil courts or being handled by school district investigators. In just a six month period.

I am working my way through the series, but this subhead struck me: 'Passing the Trash' by School Districts Frees Sexual Predators To Hunt Again." Since the 1980s, according to the report,

many school lawyers have been urging their clients ...to adopt policies of limited or no disclosure about past employees.

The whole thing sounds uncannily like the Catholic Church experience. The only thing missing is the media posture of outrage.

The series can be found at Education Week. link