Protocols needed for reporting abuse

The news that a Ferris High School teacher resigned over possible sexual misconduct with a student has raised serious questions.

In exchange for not pursuing claims against the Spokane School District, former social studies teacher Sayeed X will continue to be paid until his contract ends on Aug. 31. Plus the incident will not appear on his evaluation. Was that a wise trade-off?

Superintendent Brian Benzel notes that the employee appeals process is time-consuming and expensive. The settlement will save the district a lot of money. The teacher will not be able to apply for other jobs in the Spokane district, and the Office of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction has been notified. If the allegations against X are confirmed, we expect the state to revoke his teaching certificate.

However, the controversy surrounding the reporting of this possible crime is confusing and troubling. State law requires schools to report such allegations in 48 hours, but also to contact all people involved before reaching a decision.

The alleged victim and another Ferris student informed the district on Jan. 24. The district says it reported the matter to Child Protective Services on Jan. 28. A CPS spokeswoman confirms that, but that agency didn’t fax the referral to Spokane police until Jan. 31. It thus took seven days for police to be contacted.

While Spokane Police Chief Roger Bragdon agrees with the school district that it needed more than 48 hours to investigate the complaint thoroughly, Assistant Attorney General Larry Briney says he thinks the Legislature wanted districts to comply with the 48-hour requirement, despite the other statute.

It would seem the love notes students reportedly provided would be reason enough to call the authorities. Although the Police Department and school district clearly weren’t on the same page when the story broke, Bragdon now says the district complied with the law and that his office’s investigation has not been compromised. If the two agencies haven’t previously gotten together to establish clear protocols for such cases, they should do so now. That goes for every school district in the state.

It’s troubling enough that a student might have been sexually abused by a person in a position of trust. The confusion between authorities about the process exacerbates the harm and raises the anxiety of parents who wonder whether their children are being sufficiently protected.