Federal Investigation of Schools

OUR OPINION: W-B AREA PROBE

April 23, 2009

Here’s wishing FBI good fishing

OPENING DAY for trout season is still more than a week away, but that didn’t prevent the Federal Bureau of Investigation from going fishing Wednesday. The FBI issued a press release looking for teachers and prospective teachers, school employees and people who have previously wanted to work at a school, who were asked to pay to be employed at a public school in Northeast Pennsylvania. They’re also looking for people who were denied employment for refusing to pay, or anyone who knows about such things.

It is part of the folklore of Luzerne County – some say the hard reality – that you have to have connections to get a job at a public school. Many say they know someone who knows someone who found employment through connections. Many suspect some kind of payback. But saying it and proving it are two different things.

Last week it was confirmed that the FBI is investigating the Wilkes-Barre Area School District and had subpoenaed school records. The superintendent of the district gave testimony to a grand jury Tuesday.

Considering the amount of taxpayer money that goes into public education, the state of our schools and the critical need to educate students, a pay-to-work plot would be cause for hot-blooded outrage. It would be distressing as well. If some are found guilty of these charges, it’s likely a small percentage have sullied the reputation of educators who deserve our confidence and trust. It’s also demoralizing to have yet another figure of authority under scrutiny for misdeeds. The clergy, judges and now educators. What’s next? Mom and Dad?

It’s also disheartening that the FBI must cast a net for leads. We do not envy special agents Richard Southerton or Joseph Noone, the G-men who will sift and sort through the crazies and the nuts to find what they are searching for.

We wish them what anglers wish each other: tight lines.

The FBI has asked those with information on possible instances of job selling in public schools to contact the Scranton office at 570-344-2404

Tweet	Follow @TLnews

Send Question or Remark to the Publisher