Post-Sandusky, PA Punishing Teachers for Misconduct

Better awareness means more enforcement.

The Tribune-Review reports that Pennsylvania schools are cracking down on teacher misconduct in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky scandal:

Although the number of teachers disciplined rose steadily for several years, many experts and law enforcement officials say the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse case at Penn State University was a game-changer because it heightened awareness about the importance of reporting possible abuse.

In 2011, the year prosecutors accused the assistant football coach of molesting boys, the Professional Standards and Practices Commission issued 79 disciplinary actions. The next year, the commission, which handles allegations of teacher misconduct, issued 219 disciplinary actions.

Complaints of misconduct rose from 256 in 2011 to 563 in 2012, records show.

“Sandusky raised a lot of consciousness of those issues,” Bradford County District Attorney Daniel Barrett said.

The upside to the awful Sandusky scandal? Maybe the next generation of Pennsylvania youngsters is better protected.