When students misbehave in the classroom, their actions have consequences: demerits, detention, even expulsion. When citizens are caught breaking the law, they usually face the legal consequences of their actions: arrest, criminal charges, jail time.

But what happens when the officials who are in charge of overseeing classroom education across Ohio break the law?

Last July, David Hansen, the former school choice director for the Ohio Department of Education and the husband of Gov. John Kasich's presidential campaign manager, was found to have illegally scrubbed data related to failing online charter schools. That rigging boosted the ratings of two sponsors overseeing the schools, potentially qualifying them for additional state aid.

After delaying for more than six weeks, the Education Department this month finally released 100,000 public documents related to this corruption. They show that Mr. Hansen did not act alone. Emails detail how he enlisted other department staffers to get the skewed results that made the online charter schools look like something they were not: successful at educating children.

One exchange indicates that Ohio’s superintendent of public instruction, Richard Ross, was briefed on what turned out to be the illegal charter school evaluations. That raises the question of whether Mr. Ross signed off on the methodology. But Ohioans have no way of knowing how deep the roots of corruption run at the Education Department, when illegal data scrubbers are responsible for turning over data on the scrubbing.

Although Mr. Hansen fell on his sword and resigned, the full depth and breadth of the data-scrubbing scandal have yet to be independently investigated. That leaves Ohio parents and taxpayers unsure of whether they can trust state education officials, and wondering when they will finally get answers.

But such questions evidently will go unanswered as long as the presidential spotlight continues to shine on Governor Kasich.

When Columbus Public Schools officials were caught scrubbing data, State Auditor Dave Yost rushed in during the middle of a school day, with sworn agents brandishing badges and carrying guns. Four district officials were convicted on felony charges, and face jail time and hefty fines.

What a difference two years make. Mr. Yost is now a co-chairman of Mr. Kasich’s Ohio presidential campaign, and his interest in exposing corruption in the Education Department seems nonexistent. Mr. Yost would rather tolerate a broken charter school system than muddy the political waters for his preferred presidential candidate.

Governor Kasich's handpicked state inspector general has a similar conflict of interest. He cannot objectively investigate corruption in the administration of the man he relies on for a paycheck — and potentially an appointment in a presidential administration.

Only an independent, outside investigation seems capable of getting at the truth about Ohio’s charter school corruption. But that could bring bad press to the Kasich campaign, and unwanted scrutiny to the system of failing, for-profit schools that the governor has allowed to grow and fester on his watch — all while state Republicans continued to rake in millions of dollars in campaign cash from Ohio charter magnates.

The brazen contempt for the rules — in this case state law — displayed by state education officials would not be tolerated in the classroom. Ohio parents and taxpayers should not put up with it either.

Ohioans need independent authorities to root out the bad apples in the Education Department. The bright lights of a presidential campaign cannot be allowed to suspend the rule of law, especially when the future success of our children is at stake.

State Rep. Teresa Fedor (D., Toledo) is a former Toledo Public Schools teacher and the ranking Democrat on the Ohio House Education Committee.

First Published September 27, 2015, 4:00 a.m.