Since the company has a "niche in school construction," according to its website, its management should know better.

Anonymous wrote:I think there are a lot of construction and landscaping contractors cutting corners by hiring people with no background checks. I'm very nervous with my kids and teens around construction projects for this reason--I think it's one of the few jobs where guys with violent criminal histories know they can probably get a job regardless of their background.

I worked at a girl's high school 20 years ago that had a major construction project going on. The girls were all explicitly told that they had absolutely no reason to ever have to talk to the workmen and interrupt their workday. I'm sure that the workmen were given similar instructions regarding the girls. If the staff had seen any hint of a conversation going on, they would have intervened.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A complete disgrace. I am so embarrassed to have a child in MCPS. I wish I could move or afford private. This is getting very scary.

MCPS had a contract with Towson-based Oak Contracting. Oak Contracting was contractually obligated to submit background check information about their employees to MCPS before allowing their employees to work on MCPS property. But they didn't do what their contract required them to do.

Also, it's not clear that there is any connection between his work and the rape.

So blaming MCPS for this is, at best, premature.

You just made the case for blaming MCPS. Who reviewed the "contractually obligated" background check????? If it wasn't submitted, who allowed them on school property?????? See? That is exactly why MCPS should be held accountable. They put "safety rules" in place they never implement or enforce and as a result dozens and dozens of children have been sexually abused because of it and people like you always turn their head the other way. The company should never be allowed to provide services again for MCPS AND the person who's job this was with MCPS should be fired. MCPS should be falling all over themselves to tell us how many people they have working on reviewing every single contractor they use to make sure there are no other offenders accessing our children because they did not do their jobs.

Let's start by blaming:

1. The man himself
2. The man's employer

Yes?

Agree. This is a terrible crime, and obviously we want MCPS contractors to be background-checked. But this is one instance that's not about MCPS.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Booker has prior robbery and drug distribution convictions on his record, according to the school system, and he “was not cleared to be in any MCPS school nor to have direct contact with students,” Edison principal Shawn Krasa said in the letter.

Krasa said a school system background check revealed his prior felony convictions. The letter does not indicate when or why the school system conducted the background check."

Based on the above, MCPS did a background check on him and he was NOT cleared to work on any MCPS project. ..but the CONTRACTOR let him work anyway.
This is all on the contractor.

You came to a conclusion not supported by the article. The article specifically says : THE LETTER DOES NOT INDICATE WHEN OR WHY THE SCHOOL SYSTEM CONDUCTED THE BACKGROUND CHECK.
MCPS could have done a background check this morning.

You cannot be that clueless.

Anonymous wrote:"Booker has prior robbery and drug distribution convictions on his record, according to the school system, and he “was not cleared to be in any MCPS school nor to have direct contact with students,” Edison principal Shawn Krasa said in the letter.

Krasa said a school system background check revealed his prior felony convictions. The letter does not indicate when or why the school system conducted the background check."

Based on the above, MCPS did a background check on him and he was NOT cleared to work on any MCPS project. ..but the CONTRACTOR let him work anyway.
This is all on the contractor.

You came to a conclusion not supported by the article. The article specifically says : THE LETTER DOES NOT INDICATE WHEN OR WHY THE SCHOOL SYSTEM CONDUCTED THE BACKGROUND CHECK.
MCPS could have done a background check this morning.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A complete disgrace. I am so embarrassed to have a child in MCPS. I wish I could move or afford private. This is getting very scary.

MCPS had a contract with Towson-based Oak Contracting. Oak Contracting was contractually obligated to submit background check information about their employees to MCPS before allowing their employees to work on MCPS property. But they didn't do what their contract required them to do.

Also, it's not clear that there is any connection between his work and the rape.

So blaming MCPS for this is, at best, premature.

You just made the case for blaming MCPS. Who reviewed the "contractually obligated" background check????? If it wasn't submitted, who allowed them on school property?????? See? That is exactly why MCPS should be held accountable. They put "safety rules" in place they never implement or enforce and as a result dozens and dozens of children have been sexually abused because of it and people like you always turn their head the other way. The company should never be allowed to provide services again for MCPS AND the person who's job this was with MCPS should be fired. MCPS should be falling all over themselves to tell us how many people they have working on reviewing every single contractor they use to make sure there are no other offenders accessing our children because they did not do their jobs.

++++100000.

+1

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A complete disgrace. I am so embarrassed to have a child in MCPS. I wish I could move or afford private. This is getting very scary.

MCPS had a contract with Towson-based Oak Contracting. Oak Contracting was contractually obligated to submit background check information about their employees to MCPS before allowing their employees to work on MCPS property. But they didn't do what their contract required them to do.

Also, it's not clear that there is any connection between his work and the rape.

So blaming MCPS for this is, at best, premature.

What's clear is that MCPS is responsible for keeping children safe and they didn't. It's called oversight and MCPS doesn't do it. Children pay the price for MCPS' failure to do their job.

DP

And we see this again and again. The MCPS bus driver raping a student on the bus. The Security guy at RM and the student. The Damascus rape case. The Rockville sex case.

Anonymous wrote:so sad

https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/schools/man-accused-of-raping-girl-was-working-unauthorized-at-montgomery-schools/
Man worked for contractor that was responsible for background checks of employees at Wheaton, Edison high schools

A Prince George’s County man accused of raping a 12-year-old girl in Wheaton last month was working on a construction project for the Montgomery school system, but was not authorized for the job because of past felony convictions, according to the school system.

In a letter sent to Wheaton High School and Thomas Edison High School of Technology families on Monday, the school system said James Booker, a 59-year-old from Upper Marlboro who was arrested after allegedly raping a child outside her home, was working on a construction project at athletic fields shared by the two schools.

A document outlining responsibilities of school system contractors says the construction company employing Booker was responsible for ensuring he was eligible to work on school grounds.

God only knows how many CHILDREN this criminal has RAPED????

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oak Contracting has done nearly 2 BILLION dollars worth of k -12 projects. Is run by fat cat old white dudes
http://oakcontracting.com/about/staff/

No surprise

Wow, that's easily one of the most unappealing staff pages I've ever seen! Those dudes look like they are all relatives, or something.

They look like Jack Smith!!!!!

Don't be naive. Of course the contractor hired him because he was willing to work for less money than a non predator.

They knew.

"Booker has prior robbery and drug distribution convictions on his record, according to the school system, and he “was not cleared to be in any MCPS school nor to have direct contact with students,” Edison principal Shawn Krasa said in the letter.

Krasa said a school system background check revealed his prior felony convictions. The letter does not indicate when or why the school system conducted the background check."

Based on the above, MCPS did a background check on him and he was NOT cleared to work on any MCPS project. ..but the CONTRACTOR let him work anyway.
This is all on the contractor.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A complete disgrace. I am so embarrassed to have a child in MCPS. I wish I could move or afford private. This is getting very scary.

MCPS had a contract with Towson-based Oak Contracting. Oak Contracting was contractually obligated to submit background check information about their employees to MCPS before allowing their employees to work on MCPS property. But they didn't do what their contract required them to do.

Also, it's not clear that there is any connection between his work and the rape.

So blaming MCPS for this is, at best, premature.

You just made the case for blaming MCPS. Who reviewed the "contractually obligated" background check????? If it wasn't submitted, who allowed them on school property?????? See? That is exactly why MCPS should be held accountable. They put "safety rules" in place they never implement or enforce and as a result dozens and dozens of children have been sexually abused because of it and people like you always turn their head the other way. The company should never be allowed to provide services again for MCPS AND the person who's job this was with MCPS should be fired. MCPS should be falling all over themselves to tell us how many people they have working on reviewing every single contractor they use to make sure there are no other offenders accessing our children because they did not do their jobs.

Let's start by blaming:

1. The man himself
2. The man's employer

Yes?

Why? Take your common sense somewhere else. This is DCUM

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A complete disgrace. I am so embarrassed to have a child in MCPS. I wish I could move or afford private. This is getting very scary.

MCPS had a contract with Towson-based Oak Contracting. Oak Contracting was contractually obligated to submit background check information about their employees to MCPS before allowing their employees to work on MCPS property. But they didn't do what their contract required them to do.

Also, it's not clear that there is any connection between his work and the rape.

So blaming MCPS for this is, at best, premature.

You just made the case for blaming MCPS. Who reviewed the "contractually obligated" background check????? If it wasn't submitted, who allowed them on school property?????? See? That is exactly why MCPS should be held accountable. They put "safety rules" in place they never implement or enforce and as a result dozens and dozens of children have been sexually abused because of it and people like you always turn their head the other way. The company should never be allowed to provide services again for MCPS AND the person who's job this was with MCPS should be fired. MCPS should be falling all over themselves to tell us how many people they have working on reviewing every single contractor they use to make sure there are no other offenders accessing our children because they did not do their jobs.

Let's start by blaming:

1. The man himself
2. The man's employer

Yes?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A complete disgrace. I am so embarrassed to have a child in MCPS. I wish I could move or afford private. This is getting very scary.

MCPS had a contract with Towson-based Oak Contracting. Oak Contracting was contractually obligated to submit background check information about their employees to MCPS before allowing their employees to work on MCPS property. But they didn't do what their contract required them to do.

Also, it's not clear that there is any connection between his work and the rape.

So blaming MCPS for this is, at best, premature.

You just made the case for blaming MCPS. Who reviewed the "contractually obligated" background check????? If it wasn't submitted, who allowed them on school property?????? See? That is exactly why MCPS should be held accountable. They put "safety rules" in place they never implement or enforce and as a result dozens and dozens of children have been sexually abused because of it and people like you always turn their head the other way. The company should never be allowed to provide services again for MCPS AND the person who's job this was with MCPS should be fired. MCPS should be falling all over themselves to tell us how many people they have working on reviewing every single contractor they use to make sure there are no other offenders accessing our children because they did not do their jobs.

+1

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A complete disgrace. I am so embarrassed to have a child in MCPS. I wish I could move or afford private. This is getting very scary.

MCPS had a contract with Towson-based Oak Contracting. Oak Contracting was contractually obligated to submit background check information about their employees to MCPS before allowing their employees to work on MCPS property. But they didn't do what their contract required them to do.

Also, it's not clear that there is any connection between his work and the rape.

So blaming MCPS for this is, at best, premature.

I think MCPS should audit their contractors on a routine basis. It's hard to audit them all, but at least the larger ones. Or just require them to submit backgroudn check paperwork on each person on the job.

Why not require MCPS contractors to wear ID badges to show they provided a background check to MCPS? No MCPS badge then no work at a location with students. School security should monitor contractors for badges.

The real problem, same for MCPS employees, is that background checks only shows someone has a clean record at the time of the check. A person can later be arrested for a serious crime. How long would it take for MCPS to find out?

I blame MCPS for being complacent because clearly this person had a record dealing drugs so he should not be at a school site. To say that the contractor was responsible still shows that MCPS is failing to check up on its contractors. The contract should be terminated and MCPS should stop using Oak Contracting for future projects as a penalty. However, the "may" clause for terminating the contract means MCPS will never enforce it.

Let's face it, safety is not a priority for the administrators who run MCPS.