Virginia School Districts Urged to Check Licensing of Teachers Accused of Sexual Misconduct

What to Know

  • A News4 I-Team investigation found Fairfax County Public Schools allowed teachers to fall through the cracks after misconduct with students.
  • At a Board of Education meeting, the board president said he wants all Virginia districts to check their books for lingering cases.
  • Newly proposed legislation would boost funding and staffing of the state education department to help investigate misconduct cases.

The Virginia Board of Education ordered every school district in the commonwealth to double check their books and ensure they've properly revoked the licenses of every teacher who's admitted sexual misconduct with a student.

This action follows a News4 I-Team investigation that found Fairfax County Public Schools allowed teachers to fall through the cracks after misconduct with students.

The head of the Board of Education saw the I-Team report revealing Fairfax, the largest district in Virginia, allowed years to pass before sending in the necessary paperwork to revoke the licenses of at least four teachers.

In one of those cases, English teacher Brad Norton of Hayfield Secondary School managed to find a new teaching job in Maryland and later admitted sexually assaulting another student there as his paperwork languished in Fairfax.

At a Board of Education meeting Thursday, board President Billy Cannaday said he wants all Virginia districts to check their books for lingering cases.

He also issued a memo to all school superintendents in Virginia reminding them of their responsibility under state regulations to report suspected improprieties by teachers to the state.

“Our responsibility is to protect our students,” he said.

Fairfax County Public Schools said it has become more proactive in how it handles teacher misconduct accusations and there are no other license cases to close.

The father of a victim of one of those four Fairfax teachers said he believes there are other possible cases.

Meanwhile, in Richmond, newly proposed legislation stemming from the I-Team investigation would boost the funding and staffing of the state education department to help them investigate cases of educator misconduct.

Contact Us