Carlos Deangelo Bell
La Plata, MD – In the wake of recent revelations that a former teacher’s assistant in Charles County Public Schools was indicted on 119 counts including child sexual abuse, the Charles County Commissioners voted Tuesday, Aug. 29 to provide $25,000 for 3,500 staff members to take training on recognizing the signs of sexual abuse.
“This meeting was not scheduled,” Charles County Commissioner President Peter Murphy [D] acknowledged. “I had put this on the agenda because Charles County has been faced with a very serious situation with a former instructional assistant who allegedly committed a number of unbelievable acts on our children.
“I happened to be at the Leadership Institute and I was talking with Dr. [Kimberly] Hill, [superintendent of Charles County Public Schools],” he added. “It was very clear that she wanted to address this situation and ensure that these things would never happen again, or at the very least, minimize that.”
One of the things the Charles County Board of Education is doing is that they have decided they are going to provide training. The nationally recognized training program Stewards of Children is designed to prevent, recognize and react in respect to child sexual abuse.
“I thought, ‘Is there anything we can do?’ ” Murphy said. “So I’m here to ask for support from my colleagues to help those 3,500 employees get their training. The work books cost $25,056.13. I want to be very clear that the board of education did not come to us and ask us for funds. This is us coming forward to see if we could partner with them.”
Asking a question of Charles County Administrator Michael D. Mallinoff, Commissioner Ken Robinson [D-District 1] asked if county employees could take the training too.
“We have several agencies that interact with children,” Robinson said. “Is there a way for us to train our employees that interact with children?”
“Currently, each year at summer camp season, staff receive training that covers what to look for and where to report if you suspect abuse,” Mallinoff said. “We fingerprint and do background checks for employees and volunteers.
“We would like to be able to participate in the program through an online program,” he said. “If the county can purchase an additional 30 training books we can pay for the online training out of our budget.
David Eicholtz, director of fiscal and administrative services, said his office began looking for savings within the general fund budget when they were first approached about the training costs.
“We had an interest rate we had assumed was going to be high was lower than what we thought,” Eicholtz stated. “We would use the savings to fund some of it and we would take the remaining funds from the contingency fund.”
“What is the total cost for the training, not just the books?” Commissioner Debra Davis [D – District 2] asked.
“The actual training would cost $50,395,” Murphy said. The Board of Education will pay for that portion of the training, he said.
The vote to cover the $25,000 for the textbooks was approved unanimously.
Former teacher’s assistant Carlos Deangelo Bell, 30 of Waldorf, was charged July 21 with 119 counts ranging from child sexual abuse to distribution of marijuana.
Contact Joseph Norris at joe.norris@thebaynet.com