Time for state to help fix schools in New London
The problems in the New London School District are likely far more serious and deeply entrenched than the district can solve without help. State Department of Education Commissioner Miguel A. Cardona should intervene, and he should do it now.
The arrests of three former New London school district employees — two on charges of having sex with students, one on charges of not reporting what she knew — are bad enough. But decisions made by school officials contributed to the mess.
The district exhibited careless oversight of staff members with known criminal convictions and allowed unsupervised oversight of emotionally vulnerable children; failed to take firm and aggressive action when confronted with evidence of criminal conduct; and showed profound disregard for the welfare of students. It all adds up to a school district that is awash in dysfunction, and we are skeptical that the public — or the district — is fully aware of the extent of it.
The question is whether New London officials can be relied upon to fix their own problems. Over the course of these cases, the internal safeguards broke down. And while Superintendent Cynthia Richie says the district is working with “a neutral third party investigator” to set things straight, the state cannot allow the investigation of such serious allegations to be supervised by the institution under investigation.
The state has a legal and moral responsibility to ensure that Connecticut’s children are being properly educated and that the learning environment is safe. The school district failed to provide that to its students, and the time for second chances has long passed.
Corriche Gaskin, 35, was convicted on a federal drug charge in 2011. The district knew this when it hired him as a substitute paraprofessional in 2014, even though he had no education certificate and little formal training, and it was supposed to keep him under constant supervision.
He was promoted twice in two years to a full-time position helping students who were going through tough times. He got glowing reviews — until he was arrested in April and charged with sexually assaulting a 13-year-old student in his office and, later, in a closet. He allegedly also assaulted an eighth grade student.
He was fired on May 13. But how could New London officials have thought it was a good idea to leave this convicted criminal, with little training, alone with students?
The case of Jevon Elmore, 25, is equally disturbing.
Mr. Elmore allegedly sexually assaulted a high school student in the summer of 2018, while he was working for the school district as a summer athletic trainer. When allegations of the assault first came to light in March, officials did the right thing and notified the Department of Children and Families. But after the DCF said the complaint didn’t rise to the level where the agency could act, the school district made a crucial mistake: It interviewed the girl, who denied the incident took place, and then investigated no further. Who conducted the interview and under what circumstances it took place is unclear.
At that point, school officials sent Mr. Elmore back to work, warning him “to exercise extreme caution when interacting with students.” It was the wrong decision — especially since Mr. Elmore had had a previous warning from DCF about physical contact with a student. The warning signs were there, yet the district chose not to act.
Finally, the DCF opened an investigation into Mr. Elmore after they received “additional and more credible information.” Mr. Elmore was arrested May 23 and charged with second-degree sexual assault involving two potential victims. One investigation is ongoing. He was fired on June 13.
Another person caught up in the Gaskin mess is Melissa Rodriguez, 35, a former middle school teacher who was charged with failing to report the Elmore rumors to authorities. Ms. Rodriguez also came to the district with a criminal past that the district knew about.
Giving second chances is commendable, but extending opportunities to convicted criminals raises the expectations of oversight, especially when children are involved.
It is staggering that the school district missed so many opportunities to do the right thing. Commissioner
Cardona needs to take a leadership role. There are a number of ways the state can legally take over a troubled school district, and Mr. Cardona should explore those steps. He could work closely with legislators and officials from the area and propose legislation that would enable the state to take over the district, for example.
The district has shown it’s incapable of policing itself. The children of New London deserve so much more.