Posted November 11, 2017 at 09:35 PM | Updated November 11, 2017 at 09:35 PM
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In August 2017, The Oregonian/OregonLive published “Benefit of the Doubt: How Portland Public Schools Helped an Educator Evade Sexual Misconduct Allegations.”
That investigation reported Portland Public Schools’ botched handling of students' first-person complaints about Mitch Whitehurst, an educator who had a 32-year career in the district. It found Oregon’s largest school district protected Whitehurst, not children. Whitehurst ultimately left under a cloud and surrendered his license in 2016, but only after a male colleague complained that Whitehurst mistreated him.
After reading this story, recently elected school board chair Julia Brim-Edwards said the district has been too slow and tepid in making fixes. She pledged an independent investigation, and the school board subsequently hired a team of former prosecutors who will carry it out.
Stay up to date on this story through this page.
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