L.A. superintendent wants to change rule that removes unproven allegations from personnel files

From The Los Angeles Times: Los Angeles schools Supt. John Deasy wants to change a union rule that calls for unproven allegations of misconduct against teachers to be removed from personnel files after four years. Deasy says the records should remain intact because they could help the district flag potential problem teachers. The lack of documentation has hindered ongoing efforts to identify such teachers through existing records. The scouring of files began soon after Miramonte Elementary teacher Mark Berndt was charged with 23 counts of lewd conduct against students. His file contained no indication of past alleged misconduct even though investigators have tallied at least four past allegations. The current process of removing old documents results from a provision in the teacher's contract dating back to the early 1990s.

FEBRUARY 2012...from The Los Angeles Times: Since Los Angeles authorities charged a teacher nearly a month ago with committing lewd acts in his classroom, the Los Angeles Unified School District has seen a flurry of arrests of school employees accused of inappropriate behavior with children. Over the last three weeks, six employees have been booked on suspicion of sex-related crimes, and several others have been pulled from the classroom amid investigations. But law enforcement officials say they don't believe that more abuse is occurring. Rather, the alleged misconduct uncovered at Miramonte Elementary School has sparked some people to come forward and others to be more watchful, they say. Earlier: More on the Miramonte Elementary School investigation.