Parent, Teacher Complaints Brushed Aside: Washington Post Front Page

From today's Washington Post, page A-1:

Since Joynes’s Feb. 27 arrest, parents have questioned whether school administrators were watching him closely enough. Two parents said in interviews that they had told school officials about incidents they considered inappropriate. One reported that Joynes asked a child to call him “Daddy.” Another said the teacher made comments in front of second-graders about a relative being a drug addict. A third parent said at a school meeting that he had complained about Joynes, but did not describe his concern. School officials said publicly that significant action had been taken in that instance.

Two teachers said in interviews that they reported Joynes for actions they found worrisome, including locking classroom doors while he was inside with children.

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So, MCPS sends out the Community Superintendent to a meeting to mollify parents, who says the "complaints were handled the way they should be handled." The principal remains mum. The public relations chief (really? public relations at a meeting like this?) says MCPS will investigate....later.

Why aren't parent complaints ever taken seriously? I hope that the families at New Hampshire Estates are getting some answers from the Montgomery County Police Department, and have access to the Victim's Assistance program. They need answers....not "public relations."