All the Crimes that HB 642 would not cover: Child Pornography, Production of Pornography, Solicitation of a Minor...

House Bill 642

CHILDREN - CHILD CARE FACILITIES, PUBLIC SCHOOLS, AND NONPUBLIC SCHOOLS - CONTRACTORS AND SUBCONTRACTORS 

Sponsored by: Delegate Luedtke

SUPPORT BILL ONLY IF AMENDED [Watch Video below at Minute 14:10 for Statement Detailing Reasons for Need for Amendments to this Bill]
Link to written testimony submitted by Ellen Mugmon

Before the Maryland House Ways and Means Committee
March 12, 2015

BREAKING: Mont Co judge sentences John Epps to 5 yrs in jail and suspends all of it, plus 5 yrs probation. @wusa9

BREAKING: Mont Co judge sentences John Epps to 5 yrs in jail and suspends all of it, plus 5 yrs probation. @wusa9 pic.twitter.com/6JDZN46NdN
— Andrea McCarren (@AndreaMcCarren) March 10, 2015

WUSA9: Child sex offenders in Montgomery County Public Schools

 http://www.wusa9.com/story/news/local/2015/02/24/montgomery-county-schools-child-sexual-abuse/23937507/

MCPS Student Who Spoke Out About Sexual Abuse to Receive Award

The Montgomery County Civic Federation will give their Community Hero award to Jasmine Andoh-Thompson on Monday, February 9th at 7:45 PM.

Jasmine is the MCPS middle-schooler who spoke out when she was pressured not to, about inappropriate 'touching' at her school. Come celebrate her award.

Please join us at our monthly Montgomery County Civic Federation meeting.

DATE: Monday, February 9, 2015

TIME: 7:45pm

PLACE: County Council Office Building, 1st Floor Auditorium, 100 Maryland Ave., Rockville. convenient to Rockville metro stop, buses, free parking in garage behind the building.

Program: Perilous Potholes and Crumbling Curbs: Neighborhood Road Resurfacing.                                                                                        Speakers: Josh Faust, Public Outreach Manager for Montgomery County Department of Transportation's Division of Highway Services  and Lon Anderson, Managing Director of Public and Government Affairs for American Automobile
Association (AAA) Mid-Atlantic.

Community Hero: Jasmine Andoh-Thompson. Jasmine is the MCPS middle-schooler who spoke out when she was pressured not to, about inappropriate 'touching' at her school. Come celebrate her award.

 

Ex-LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy traveled on private foundation’s dime

...Deasy, who stepped down last month under scrutiny over technology blunders affecting classes for thousands of students, traveled more than 100,000 miles last year, visiting New York and Washington. D.C., five times each, according to an analysis of travel records by KPCC...

WATCH: Accused butt grabber storms senior home, office building, dry cleaner while dodging news cameras | WJLA.com

WATCH: Accused butt grabber storms senior home, office building, dry cleaner while dodging news cameras | WJLA.com

WUSA9: Hearing postponed for accused Damascus middle school groper

Police Press Conference: 9 more students came forward

Montgomery County Police held a press conference at 11 AM on Thursday, December 4, 2014, regarding the arrest of MCPS substitute teacher Jose Pineda.

The press conference video is in two parts. The first part is just about 2 minutes in length. The second video is 30 minutes.

Jose Pineda employment history:
2000-2003 MCPS school bus operator
2003-2006 MCPS substitute teacher
2006-2013 not employed by MCPS
2013-2014 MCPS substitute teacher - worked 111 times in 20 different schools

• Police want any one with information to contact them at this number: 240-773-5400.
• Where did Mr. Pineda work during the years when he was not with MCPS? If anyone in the community knows, please contact the Montgomery County Police.
• If any doubt that a law has been broken, police should be called.
• If parents think that a child has been victimized and a law has been broken they should call the police.
• There was somewhat of a delay in getting information to the police. (September 30th incident.)
• If anyone believes there has been a criminal offense the police should be called right away. 
• MCPS was notified of today's press conference, but did not participate

Broadcast live streaming video on Ustream



Broadcast live streaming video on Ustream

Breaking!! Starr to Break Silence on Arrests of Staff for Sexual Abuse of Students

It's taken over 14 arrests and a damning Maryland State Board of Education Opinion, but Superintendent Joshua Starr is finally going to address the issue of students that have been sexually assaulted by MCPS staff. 



Superintendent to hold Media Availability about Child Abuse
December 4, 2014 Superintendent of Schools Joshua P. Starr will hold a media availability at 4:00 p.m. TODAY (Thursday, December 4, 2014) to discuss how allegations of child abuse are handled by Montgomery County Public Schools.

The availability will be held at the Carver Educational Services Center, 850 Hungerford Drive, in Rockville in front of the building near the flagpole.

ABC7: Outrage over arrests - Baker Middle School meeting video

WPost: Montgomery County police said Friday that between five and 10 other students have come forward following recent school system notifications...

...The latest case involved a substitute teacher, Jose Pineda, 50, at Roberto Clemente Middle School who is accused of inappropriately touching a 12-year-old girl. Pineda was arrested Oct. 14, on a charge of child abuse, and the Germantown school’s parents learned about it on Nov. 7.
Montgomery County police said Friday that between five and 10 other students have come forward following recent school system notifications about Pineda’s arrest. Police said that the investigation is ongoing and that they could not provide details about any of the students’ accounts.
The case at Clemente Middle comes amid an uproar at John T. Baker Middle School in Damascus, Md., where parents were angered that almost a month passed before they were notified that a contractor, John E. Epps Jr., was arrested for allegedly touching a 12-year-old girl inappropriately in a school hallway...

 http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/parents-concerned-about-handling-of-inappropriate-contact-with-students/2014/11/14/25ce465c-6852-11e4-b053-65cea7903f2e_story.html

NBC4: Baker Middle School Principal "Sorry" for Not Notifying Parents of Sex Assault

A Montgomery County principal apologized for not letting parents know about a sex assault involving a school contract worker and a 12-year-old student for weeks after the incident.

 http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Baker-Middle-School-Principal-Sorry-for-Not-Notifying-Parents-of-Sex-Assault-282360191.html

WUSA9: Parents: Weren't notified middle school student was groped

http://www.wusa9.com/story/news/2014/11/05/montgomery-county-middle-school-student-groped-parents-angry/18530979/

More Letters go out to MCPS Schools

Additional letters have gone out to more schools notifying parents that John Epps, Jr. worked at those schools, including Briggs Chaney Middle School, Ridgeview Middle School, Tilden Middle School, Paint Branch High School, Montgomery Village Middle School, White Oak Middle School, Pyle Middle School, Julius West Middle School, and North Bethesda Middle School.  Below is the letter that was sent from the principal at Paint Branch HS, Dr. Myriam Rogers. Still no statement from MCPS Superintendent Josh Starr.

Epps was arrested in 2010 and was found guilty of second-degree assault in 2011; he had been arrested on sex-related offenses as far back as 2001.  Yet he was working for MCPS until recently.  Check your child's backpack, or ask them if they received a similar letter.

58 Schools!! Contractor with criminal past accused of sexually assaulting MCPS students worked at 58 county schools

Contractor with criminal past accused of sexually assaulting MCPS students worked at 58 county schools

 

...On Thursday, MCPS announced that Epps Jr. worked in 57 Montgomery County elementary, middle and high schools (see complete list below) between May and October of this year. The district says letters were sent home to parents at all of these schools.

ABC 7 News obtained court records that show a disturbing trend. In October 2010, officers arrested Epps Jr. at a Severn CVS after a female employee and customer both reported he squeezed their behinds. Charging documents say CVS staff had previously banned the husband and father of two from entering the store, because of similar offenses. A judge later found Epps Jr. guilty of second-degree assault and placed him on probation.
"Parents have the right to know that this happened in their schools, because if he did it to that child, were there other kids he did it to that were too afraid to tell their parents?" Alvaro added. "I'm fed up."
"I don't know why my school wanted me to keep quiet because it's a serious thing. It's been like a month now, and I'm just here," 12-year-old Jasmine concluded.

List of MCPS schools where Epps Jr. worked

Read more: http://www.wjla.com/articles/2014/11/parents-accuse-mcps-of-covering-up-sexual-assault-of-12-year-old-at-damascus-middle-school-108662.html#ixzz3ILcZ4sjS
Follow us: @ABC7News on Twitter | WJLATV on Facebook

Today: More Schools Sending Home Letters about MCPS Contractor

The following schools have now notified parents and guardians that John Epps, Jr. worked in their building at some time this year or might have had contact with students.

Baker Middle School
Damascus High School
Richard Montgomery High School
Lakelands Middle School
Pyle Middle School
Wood Acres Elementary School

New: Richard Montgomery HS Notifies Parents Contractor was at School

   2014 Nov 6 Richard Montgomery High School by Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland

WTOP: Parents furious over school's handling of sex assault

Earlier - 11/5/2014, 12:31pm ET
DAMASCUS, Md. -- Some had tears in their eyes, others shook their heads in disbelief as furious mothers and fathers shouted questions and interrupted Louise Worthington Wednesday morning.
Worthington, the principal of John T. Baker Middle School in Damascus, hosted a meeting, trying to explain why it took nearly a month to tell parents about an alleged crime that occurred inside the school.
"I want you to know that it was a professional investigation that was conducted by the Montgomery County police," Worthington said.
A temporary worker who was fixing cameras at the school Oct. 6 is accused of inappropriately touching a 12-year-old girl on the buttock in a hallway.
The 44-year old suspect, John Epps Jr., of Fort Washington, Maryland, was arrested and charged with a fourth-degree sex offense.
School officials withheld all information about the incident until Monday of this week, and only after reports surfaced in the media.

Read more: http://www.wtop.com/41/3736586/Parents-furious-over-schools-handling-of-sex-assault-#ixzz3IFaBXS6a

MCPS is still finding out from Netcom, Inc. what other county schools contractor may have worked in.

Contractor accused of groping student at middle school in Damascus

MCPS notifies community nearly a month after incident