Audit discloses schools were not fully checking for sex offenders

An audit from the office of State Auditor Brian Sonntag disclosed a long-standing error in how OSPI staff were implementing RCW 43.43.845, which took effect in 2005, before current superintendent Randy Dorn took office, 

The law requires the tracking of all school employees against quarterly data from the Washington State Patrol (WSP) to prevent convicted sex offenders from working in public schools. Schools had been tracking only  certificated employees (such as teachers, counselors and nurses).

“The instant this mistake was brought to my attention, I took action,” Dorn said. “Parents need to know that when they send their kids to school they will not come in contact with adults who could cause them harm.”

The audit was initiated in August 2011, and in September 2011, OSPI was notified that they were not fully implementing the law. Dorn then immediately directed his staff to begin screening all school employees, and he initiated a full investigation of all 650,000 current and former certificated and classified school employee records dating back to 2005, when the law was enacted. In addition, Dorn has directed OSPI staff to meet with WSP staff on an ongoing basis to regularly review the coordination of data and the corresponding processing of that data between the two agencies. 

The audit and subsequent investigation requested by Dorn found that since 2005, no instances of convicted sex offenders working in our schools were found. 

More information about OSPI’s Office of Professional Practices,