S.P. school probe reveals lapses
By MARK PETERS, Portland Press Herald Writer
South Portland's former special education director made it possible for a woman
who had been convicted of assaulting a child to work in city schools without
going through a state background check, according to an investigation by the
Maine Department of Education.
Education Commissioner Susan Gendron said Tuesday that her department found that
Kathleen Fries left information about the district's contract with Deborah
Wolfenden off state forms. Fries also assured South Portland school officials
that state law was being followed in the hiring of Wolfenden as a consultant.
"Based on all our findings, that is clearly where our investigation has pointed
to," Gendron said.
The commissioner added that her department is looking at suspending or revoking
the certification of a former employee of South Portland schools, now that the
investigation is complete. Gendron declined to name that person because of
confidentiality rules.
The investigation followed last month's decision by South Portland school
officials to terminate a contract with Wolfenden after they learned of an
assault conviction in connection with the 1990 death of her 4-year-old foster
son.
That discovery caused the state education department to look at why Wolfenden
worked in the schools on and off for three years without education department
approval. Maine law requires fingerprinting and a state and federal background
check before the state education department can approve a teacher, support
worker or contractor to work in a school.
The investigation showed that former South Portland Superintendent Reginald
MacDonald and current Superintendent Wendy Houlihan acted properly and were
never fully informed about Wolfenden's status.
"My reaction is: Good, I hope this is the end of it," Houlihan said Tuesday
evening.
Gendron said the investigation showed two ways in which Fries' actions helped
Wolfenden to get around the state's background check requirement.
Gendron said Fries assured MacDonald, who knew about Wolfenden's criminal
record, that Wolfenden had been cleared to work in the schools. Fries was
Wolfenden's immediate supervisor.
"He trusted the information he had gotten," Gendron said.
The investigation also showed that Fries left Wolfenden's contract off a report
submitted to the state each year. The form requires school districts to list
contractors and mark off whether they have gone through the state background
check.
Fries resigned after Wolfenden's contract was terminated. People who know the
two women have described them as friends. Neither Fries nor Wolfenden returned
calls Tuesday.
Houlihan said she relayed information about the investigation to members of the
Board of Education on Tuesday. Board member Michael Eastman said he cannot
understand why Fries did not follow proper procedures, as the investigation
showed.
"I am very disappointed," Eastman said.
Both Eastman and Gendron said Houlihan responded correctly to concerns over the
Wolfenden contract. The superintendent has created new procedures in recent
weeks for handling contracts. Houlihan, for example, now requires every contract
she approves to have the paperwork from the state background check attached to
it.
"I do not feel it will happen again in South Portland," Eastman said.
Gendron said the state education department also is taking steps to tighten
rules on background checks. That includes new reporting requirements for
contract employees.
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