It’s awfully quiet in Rossford these days.
Former administrator Patrick Murtha does not have much to say. But why should he? After an investigation into the complaints of three students found he had acted inappropriately with them, Mr. Murtha was allowed to resign from Rossford Schools in April and continue to draw his $91,686 salary through July.
The Ohio Department of Education isn’t saying much, either. Shortly before Mr. Murtha began work in Rossford, the department recorded a reprimand from his previous employer, Athens City Schools, taking Mr. Murtha to task for inappropriate behavior toward a college intern working at the district.
But state officials say they have no new professional-conduct complaints about him.
Worst of all, the Rossford school board and its superintendent — the people responsible to make sure the employees they hire do not come with a history of misconduct complaints — have nothing to say. They refuse to answer questions.
Superintendent Dan Creps has only said that the deal Rossford reached with Mr. Murtha is “in the best interest” of the students and the district.
That remark — to say nothing of the underlying rationalization for the way Rossford has handled everything from the hiring to the departure of Mr. Murtha — is appalling.
For many years, letting employees accused of misconduct slip away quietly with such deals has been common practice in education. The practice even has a name: passing the trash.
The deal Rossford struck with Mr. Murtha seems to come right out of the trash-passing handbook. The district agreed to let him resign, even though it should have at least disciplined, if not fired, him.
Worst of all, district officials agreed to give Mr. Murtha a letter of reference for potential new jobs that makes no mention of the circumstances of his departure.
Mr. Murtha should not be a candidate for any other job in education. But if he is, he should have to answer for his history of misconduct. And potential employers should be armed with information they need about the man’s track record.
Rossford Schools officials owe those potential employers that information.
And they owe their community an explanation.
The district may have let Mr. Murtha skate away without a word. The parents and taxpayers of Rossford certainly should not let the school officials off so easily.
First Published May 8, 2019, 4:00 a.m.
