Protecting children requires vigilance and courage The case of music teacher Anthony Correnti is an example of what harm befalls all of us when our public institutions lock away their fears and concerns in the darkness, instead of exposing them to the

Protecting children requires vigilance and courage The case of music teacher Anthony Correnti is an example of what harm befalls all of us when our public institutions lock away their fears and concerns in the darkness, instead of exposing them to the light of public scrutiny

Correnti taught in the New York City School system where sexual harassment charges were raised against him. Instead of proceeding against the teacher to the fullest extent of the law, New York City permitted him to resign, sending him on his way—with a letter of recommendation from his principal.

Because Correnti resigned, the City’s investigation of the teacher was never completed, and the allegations against him never corroborated or held up for a lawful and just review.

As a result of the City’s failure to put the charges against Correnti into the public domain, he was able to show up a month later in Seaford where he took another teaching job. The information about his questionable past never came to the attention of school officials there. Since then, however, he has been brought up on more than 52 counts of sexual misconduct, including videotaping sexual acts with students as young as 13.

There is no question that current legal hiring practices limit the kind of information an employer, including school districts, can ask for, and that, undoubtedly is part of the problem. To some extent, that is being addressed by the new SAVE schools act, which will require that all prospective school district employees be fingerprinted, and that criminal background checks be conducted as part of the hiring process.

But in the case of Anthony Correnti, even that would not have helped protect the children of Seaford, or those of any other school district in which he may have chosen to hang up his teaching degree. By failing to pursue criminal charges against Correnti, the York City School system guaranteed his ability to move through our communities unchallenged and unhindered by his prior actions. He was able to continue to prey upon children, well protected by the fears of those who would prefer the comforts of darkness than the safety of light.

It’s never easy for school district’s to take up the cause of protecting children by going after bad teachers. The cost is high in terms of taxpayer dollars, professional morale and public confidence. But Correnti’s case was beyond bad; he was a sexual predator. And, while this is the latest incident in which a school district chose to permit a teacher of questionable moral character to quietly slink away into the darkness, there have been others, some right here on Long Island.

Our schools must be safe havens for our children, and our school officials must have the courage and conviction to move against every threat against them. Despite the high costs of keeping faith with that commitment, those costs are a mere pittance when compared the price of a child who falls victim to a sexual predator.