PART 8 - What the @mcps SUPERINTENDENT KNEW in 2011: Superintendent Joshua P. Starr wrote to MD State Superintendent to Ask for Scherer's Teaching Certificate to be Revoked, E-mails to Students were "Highly Inappropriate."

@mcps @mocoboe Let's Review What You Knew About Former Broad Acres Elementary School Teacher Richard W. Scherer Back in 2011 While We Wait for Your Official Statement.

The Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, MD has obtained a copy of the Criminal Complaint and the Affidavit in support of the criminal complaint in the arrest of former MCPS Broad Acres Elementary School teacher Richard Scherer. 

In Part 8 of our series on the information revealed by the FBI in their Criminal Complaint on former MCPS Broad Acres Elementary School teacher Richard W. Scherer, the public learns that back in 2011 MCPS and the Board of Education initiated an internal investigation into teacher Richard W. Scherer's interactions with students.  

The MCPS Investigation Specialists report included quotes from a September 7, 2011, letter from Superintendent [Joshua P. Starr] to the State of Maryland Superintendent of Schools [Bernard J. Sadusky]:

• A September 7, 2011 letter from the Superintendent of MCPS [Joshua P. Starr] to the State of Maryland Superintendent of Schools [Bernard J. Sadusky] was made public by the FBI. 

• The letter stated, “this is to notify you that Mr. Richard W. Scherer, an English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) teacher for Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), resigned after notice of allegations of misconduct involving a student. I recommend that Mr. Scherer’s certificate be revoked.”

• The letter continued, “Mr. Scherer resigned after notice of allegations of inappropriate behavior involving current MCPS students. The investigation conducted by the MCPS Office of Human Resources and Development revealed that Mr. Scherer communicated with the student via text messages that were highly inappropriate.”

Was this information turned over to Child Protective Services?  Was this information turned over to Montgomery County Police? 

Why was a teacher with known inappropriate interactions with children allowed to retire?  

Aren't inappropriate interactions with children an offense that would result in a MCPS employee being fired? Shouldn't this child's statement have been turned over to Child Protective Services and the Montgomery County Police? 

Now there are FIVE MCPS employees and ONE MSDE employee who as MANDATORY REPORTERS should have reported instances of suspected sexual abuse of children to Montgomery County Police or Child Protective Services in 2011.  

Broad Acres Elementary Principal

Broad Acres Assistant Principal

MCPS Investigation Specialist

MCPS Associate Superintendent

MCPS Superintendent

Maryland State Superintendent

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AFFIDAVIT IN SUPPORT OF A CRIMINAL COMPLAINT I, Randall E. Garver, being duly sworn, depose and say: 

1. I am a Special Agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and entered on duty in May 2006. I am currently assigned to the Buffalo Field Office and work on cases associated with the Violent Crimes Against Children program, which targets individuals involved in the online sexual exploitation of children...

...During my review, I located a September 7, 2011 letter from the Superintendent of MCPS to the State of Maryland Superintendent of Schools. The letter stated, “this is to notify you that Mr. Richard W. Scherer, an English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) teacher for Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), resigned after notice of allegations of misconduct involving a student. I recommend that Mr. Scherer’s certificate be revoked.”

The letter continued, “Mr. Scherer resigned after notice of allegations of inappropriate behavior involving current MCPS students. The investigation conducted by the MCPS Office of Human Resources and Development revealed that Mr. Scherer communicated with the student via text messages that were highly inappropriate.”..

  More excerpts from the Affidavit will follow in separate posts on this blog.