Teacher sex cases prompt call for probe

Diana Sahagun

Friday, Sept. 6, 2002 | 10:52 a.m.

The recent arrests of Clark County teachers in connection with sex-related crimes has prompted the vice president of the Nevada State Board of Education to call for an investigation into the way educators are licensed.

In a letter issued to board members and state Superintendent Jack McLaughlin, board Vice President Gary Waters wrote that he was "deeply troubled" by the recent arrests of two teachers, calling for public hearings and an investigation into whether there should be additional screening of prospective teachers.

On Tuesday, Shane M. Kober, a 32-year-old teacher at Advanced Technologies Academy, was charged with 10 counts of sexual conduct between an employee of a school and a student. Kober is the second Clark County teacher arrested this school year in connection with sex-related crimes. Last week, Garehime Elementary School teacher John R. Sinchak was charged with three counts of sexual assault on a victim under 14.

Since September 2000, there have been at least 15 cases of sexual misconduct against students by Clark County School District employees.

Waters said he was alarmed at the recent arrests, two weeks into the school year. It appears, he said, that such crimes are on the rise and somehow offenders are getting through the system.

"We need to bring some light into this and we need to let parents know we're doing everything we can to make sure the people we license are people that are fit in every sense of the word to work in schools," he said.

But not everyone is certain of the doomsday message.

Board member Jan Biggerstaff said the Legislature has done its part to protect students by passing a law that makes it illegal for a school employee to have sexual contact with 16- and 17-year-old students, which is the age of consent.

Those laws have brought the issue to the forefront, and as a result there is more reporting of offenses and the arrests are more high-profile, she said. There aren't necessarily more arrests taking place, she added.

"I think it's always been there and probably has been a lot worse in the past," she said. "It's just coming out in the public more and people are less tolerant of it."

Still, she agrees with Waters that it wouldn't hurt to look into the issue.

"It doesn't hurt to see if any areas we can tighten up," she said. "Perhaps local districts need to reexamine their hiring practices.

"I don't think it's an epidemic. I think we're being vigilant."

Waters said he's confident the state and local district has excellent screening mechanisms but wants to find out why and how offenders slip through the net.

There are licensing requirements for both the state and the county level.

Lina Gutierrez, executive director for licensed personnel in Clark County, said prospective teachers must submit to fingerprinting and answer 16 questions that are specific to any arrests or convictions. The FBI and Metro Police run background checks.

The district also asks for confidential references.

But in the recent cases of teachers accused of sex crimes with students, the accused don't have a previous record, Gutierrez said.

Walters said there needs to be more screening and additional protocols in place, including psychological fitness and personality assessment tools.

He outlined 10 areas of study, including the validity of background checks and the current screening methods for prospective teachers.

He also wants to look at whether there is a weakness in recommendations that come from teachers in other states who may say anything to get rid of a bad teacher. He said administrators should be liable for giving false recommendations.

Nevada is not alone in this problem, so he said the members need to investigate how other school districts screen applicants.

Shelia Moulton, president of the Clark County School Board, said she is comfortable with the requirements for licensing prospective teachers. But she said she would welcome any dialogue that could strengthen the system.

Some of the burden, though, has to be put on the families of children in the school district, she said, to tell them what is acceptable behavior.

"There's no reason for parents to think (their children) are not safe at school," she said. "We are doing everything we can and continue to look at working to always improve the situation.

"There's hundreds of thousands of kids that go to our districts and have wonderful teachers and mentors and I believe these are isolated incidents. Nevertheless, we have to study these issues."