The audit request comes after a series of educator arrests for inappropriate contact with students in recent years. (Photo by bialasiewicz/PhotoDune)
One state legislature is looking to bolster the verification process for the credentials of educators.
Senate Minority Whip Brian Pettyjohn, R-Georgetown, is specifically calling for a comprehensive audit of
the credential verification process for child counselors.
Among a number of recent arrests due to educators having inappropriate contact with minors, Pettyjohn cited a recent report by WHYY in which a child counselor in Delaware was charged with abuse and had presented a fake degree from Ohio University as his credential.
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His name is John Ervin Arnold, who worked for the Brandywine School District as a trauma counselor for kindergarten through grade five students and was recently arrested on charges of first- and second-degree rape of a 5-year-old family member.
Arnold is now being held at the Howard Young Correctional Institution in Wilmington on a $1.05 million bail.
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He never attended Ohio University despite presenting a master’s degree in psychology and a doctorate in clinical psychology.
“As a State Senator and a member of the Education Committee, I am deeply concerned about the safety and well-being of our children,” Pettyjohn stated. “The reported case highlights a significant oversight in the credential verification process, which not only endangers our children but also erodes public trust in our education and child welfare systems.”
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Pettyjohn believes professionals working in sensitive and critical roles hold significant responsibility and trust, and said it’s imperative that their credentials are beyond reproach.
“We must identify and address any weaknesses in our current verification processes to prevent unqualified individuals from assuming positions of authority over vulnerable populations,” he stated.
He’s looking for the state to do a comprehensive review of current verification procedures and the implementation of more stringent checks where necessary.
He would also like new technologies for verification, increasing the frequency of audits and enhancing collaboration with educational institutions and professional organizations to confirm the credentials are legitimate.
“It is crucial that we take immediate and decisive action to safeguard the well-being of our
children and restore confidence in the institutions responsible for their care and education,” he stated. “Our children deserve to be protected by qualified professionals who have been thoroughly vetted.”
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