WWYD? Found something questionable about teacher during casual Google search...

[Anonymous]

I had a free moment earlier and Googled my child's teachers out of curiosity today. For one, the first image links to a website alleging the teacher is a pedophile. The website itself is questionable, but the photos of the teacher are accurate. I feel sick to my stomach and wonder how a background check could have missed something that anyone with the person's name can see online.

Would you bring it to the attention of the administration, even if the source of the information is questionable?

[Anonymous]

There is all sorts of false information on the internet.

Yes, I would ask the administrators. It's their job to verify if it's true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had a free moment earlier and Googled my child's teachers out of curiosity today. For one, the first image links to a website alleging the teacher is a pedophile. The website itself is questionable, but the photos of the teacher are accurate. I feel sick to my stomach and wonder how a background check could have missed something that anyone with the person's name can see online.

Would you bring it to the attention of the administration, even if the source of the information is questionable?

What kind of website?

My dad (elderly and never a teacher) has the same name and race as a man accused of horrific child abuse. Someone put my dad's old photo on a Wordpress site out of laziness. My dad received death threats.

[Anonymous]

I would tell the school immediately. Better safe than sorry. I would also bring it to other parents' attention. If indeed it is not the man, the proper authorities can easily determine that.

[Anonymous]

To me intentionally entering the name of someone I don't know for the purpose of researching them is not considered "casual", but maybe I'm weird?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To me intentionally entering the name of someone I don't know for the purpose of researching them is not considered "casual", but maybe I'm weird?

OP here. I may not know the teacher personally, but my child is under this person's care for several hours each day. Consider it whatever you want, but I Googled the teachers out of curiosity to see what their credentials were. I'm sure my prospective employers or people I've met have looked me up to find out more information. I don't think it's out of line.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I had a free moment earlier and Googled my child's teachers out of curiosity today. For one, the first image links to a website alleging the teacher is a pedophile. The website itself is questionable, but the photos of the teacher are accurate. I feel sick to my stomach and wonder how a background check could have missed something that anyone with the person's name can see online.

Would you bring it to the attention of the administration, even if the source of the information is questionable?

What kind of website?

My dad (elderly and never a teacher) has the same name and race as a man accused of horrific child abuse. Someone put my dad's old photo on a Wordpress site out of laziness. My dad received death threats.

It's a DC-based site specializing in gossip.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I had a free moment earlier and Googled my child's teachers out of curiosity today. For one, the first image links to a website alleging the teacher is a pedophile. The website itself is questionable, but the photos of the teacher are accurate. I feel sick to my stomach and wonder how a background check could have missed something that anyone with the person's name can see online.

Would you bring it to the attention of the administration, even if the source of the information is questionable?

What kind of website?

My dad (elderly and never a teacher) has the same name and race as a man accused of horrific child abuse. Someone put my dad's old photo on a Wordpress site out of laziness. My dad received death threats.

It's a DC-based site specializing in gossip.

*looks around*

You mean like this site?

[Anonymous]

You can put anything about anybody on the internet even if it's not true. Do you think every teacher who had anonymous gossip posted about them should be fired? Do you rely on Google to be judge, jury, and executioner? The schools themselves are smarter than that.

This could easily be written by someone trying to get this teacher removed for any reason. Why would you simply believe something like that?

[Anonymous]

Who would post something like this on the internet instead of calling the police? Any parent who suspects a teacher is harming a child would report it. My guess is that it's posted by a kid. An adult would call the authorities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To me intentionally entering the name of someone I don't know for the purpose of researching them is not considered "casual", but maybe I'm weird?

OP here. I may not know the teacher personally, but my child is under this person's care for several hours each day. Consider it whatever you want, but I Googled the teachers out of curiosity to see what their credentials were. I'm sure my prospective employers or people I've met have looked me up to find out more information. I don't think it's out of line.

I think it's totally appropriate. We chose a different preschool based on a google search. I did it because I got a very weird feeling about the teacher and I found things I was uncomfortable with. I agree with you - your child is in the care of this person potentially for a lot of time. People look up information about nannies and nobody criticizes that. Schools miss things. Happens all the time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had a free moment earlier and Googled my child's teachers out of curiosity today. For one, the first image links to a website alleging the teacher is a pedophile. The website itself is questionable, but the photos of the teacher are accurate. I feel sick to my stomach and wonder how a background check could have missed something that anyone with the person's name can see online.

Would you bring it to the attention of the administration, even if the source of the information is questionable?

On what planet is a google search equivalent to a background check?! A background check involves a formal check with local and federal agencies to see if the person has ever been arrested, charged, or convicted of a crime. To ensure the information is accurate, fingerprints are taken to make sure there is no mistake. (Yes, every teacher has supplied their fingerprints for criminal background checks.) They don't use google, EVER, to investigate an employee.

[Anonymous]

It is actually illegal for an employer to rely on a google search when hiring an employee. I'm sure some do it anyway, but the internet is notoriously inaccurate and it's more than easy to make a mistake about someone's name and identity.

The school correctly uses a formal criminal background check to screen its employees. They also call references. You know, people who actually know and have worked with the person. That way there's no mistake.

Someone could post on that gossip site tonight that you have done something really bad along with pictures of your face to prove that you have done that really bad thing. Is it true? No, but gullible people like you would believe it because it's on the internet with a picture of your face.

[Anonymous]

I Google everybody that comes into contact with my kids.

Don't tell the school. School are notorious for covering stuff up.

Call CPS, do it anonymously.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I had a free moment earlier and Googled my child's teachers out of curiosity today. For one, the first image links to a website alleging the teacher is a pedophile. The website itself is questionable, but the photos of the teacher are accurate. I feel sick to my stomach and wonder how a background check could have missed something that anyone with the person's name can see online.

Would you bring it to the attention of the administration, even if the source of the information is questionable?

What kind of website?

My dad (elderly and never a teacher) has the same name and race as a man accused of horrific child abuse. Someone put my dad's old photo on a Wordpress site out of laziness. My dad received death threats.

It's a DC-based site specializing in gossip.

Do you mean the claim that a certain female music teacher was a child molester? That gets resurrected here periodically, but no one can ever source it to any actual site off DCUM.