Saturday, January 23, 2010

Rhee says Laid-off Teachers "Hit children...Had Sex With Children..."

The Washington Post is reporting today that DC Public Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee claimed in an interview with a national business magazine that some of the teachers laid off as part of a disputed budget reduction plan had sex with children or had hit them.

The explosive charges were made as she responded to interview questions about teacher union allegations that the budget crisis was manufactured to attack teacher seniority rules and move out older teachers.

DC teacher union members are furious, with the union head noting that he received no information that any of the 266 teachers laid off was under investigation for sexual misconduct with children.
Other union activists said they were especially offended by Rhee's remarks, in light of the recent investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct by her fiancé, Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson.
Before Johnson's 2008 election, the inspector general for the federal Corporation for National and Community Service filed a criminal referral with the U.S. attorney in Sacramento about Johnson. It included allegations that Johnson had inappropriately touched a minor girl and climbed into bed with a teenager who worked for the charter school he founded. The school received funding from Americorps, which is part of the community service corporation.  Johnson was not charged.
"I'm ready to recommend that Chancellor Rhee submit for a fitness for duty examination because these are the rants of either a mad or very confused woman," Candi Peterson, a teacher and member of the union's board of trustees, said on the Washington Teacher blog
Rhee provided the Post with no details or substantiation of her claims when contacted on Friday.

Our questions:
1.  Why were the teachers Rhee claims had sex with children allowed to remain in the classroom until budget cuts and staff reductions rolled around?  Was any disciplinary action taken against them by the district?

2.  Did Rhee report her allegations of serious crimes to the proper authorities; were there investigations (education professionals are "mandatory reporters of alleged child endangerment and sexual abuse)?  Is she cooperating with the police now?

3.  Did Rhee inform parents that their children may have been victims of sexual assault?  Did she make counseling and medical services available to the children she believes were victimized?

4.  Did Rhee inform the union of these charges as required?

If she did none of the above, Rhee may be culpable for endangering the students in her charge.

Or, of course, she could be lying.

8 comments:

  1. She's lying. She's used to telling incredible whoppers and getting away with it. The press has supported her - up until now. She went a little too far this time, making criminal charges against teachers and against herself for not reporting them.

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  2. I think there might be some projection here. Her honey pie was accused of child molestation when she ran St. Hope. Back then she did nothing about those allegations except make them go away. I am so sad for the children and families in Washington D.C. and hope the teachers stand up strong in the face of these horrible slanderous charges.

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  3. What will we do though, if she come back to Sac as KJ's Czar of Ed? I think we need to give serious thought to getting KJ out. If the arena deal happens, he'll be sitting pretty and he will be harder to get out or will he? Is there a petition for his recall?

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  4. You should ask her whether mandated reporting laws were followed and whether she immediately notified law enforcement of the allegations and assured that an independent investigation was conducted.

    We know that WAS NOT the case when Kevin Johnson "allegedly" sexually assaulted a young girl/several young girls at Sac Chater. His personal attorney thwarted state law that requires immediate notification and investigation by law enforcement.

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  5. The Washington Teacher blog where I am the blogger in residence is quoted in today's Post article.

    Rhee continues to smear DC teachers, administrators and school staff in her PR campaign. Her goal is to get rid of a significant share of our teaching workforce by any means necessary. I am glad that people are seeing through her. Rhee has told so many different versions of why she has laid-off DC teachers that nobody believes her any longer. Thanks for your coverage.

    http://www.thewashingtonteacher.blogspot.com/

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  6. We must do what we can to stop KJ from ever bringing her back to Sacramento. We must expose KJ and Rhee for what they are....this isn't about children or education reform. This is about POWER. Get rid of Rhee and KJ.

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  7. Well it's a true miracle that those two found each other. The rocks in her head fit the holes in his. They have a mutual admiration society that has benefited them. Johnson has Michelle Rhee serve as a part-time long distance member of the Sac Charter board, then helps her get a job as chancellor of DC schools. Then she uses her high profile to raise his standing as an "education reformer"allowing him to raise big bucks in his bid to take over the city of Sacramento and eventually the schools as well. Once the people in DC finally wise up, and I pray that they will, Johnson will no doubt try to foist her on us. Stand Up for Schools will have an opening just for her. It's imperative that we all continue fight to keep the Mayor's Initiative for winning at the polls. We can't take it for granted that Judge McMasters ruling against it will be upheld on appeal. Eventually he'll move on to the next big thing, but we'll be stuck with a 19th century political spoils system for our city government.

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  8. GET RID OF RHEE AND JOHNSON!

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