The chairman of the D.C. City Council’s Committee on Education, Libraries and Recreation has scheduled a public hearing for Feb. 14 to question the procedure used to run background checks on D.C. Public Schools coaches.

The hearing before Ward 7 Councilman Kevin P. Chavous’ committee is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. in Room 412 of the Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Ave. NW.

Questions about hiring practices for coaches were raised last week after two DCPS coaches were arrested for alleged sexual offenses involving students.

One of the men, Reginald Robinson, had previously been convicted of a sexual offense.

Robinson was immediately dismissed from his contract employment as an assistant track coach at Ronald Brown Middle School following his arrest at 2:20 p.m. Feb. 3 at school system headquarters. Robinson was not employed as a DCPS teacher.

The second incident came to light on Feb. 5, when H.D. Woodson Senior High School special education teacher Owen L. Williams was arrested at the DCPS Security Office charged with a sexual offense against a female student that allegedly occurred on Jan. 10.

School officials said Williams, who has taught at Woodson for about a year, was placed on leave on Jan. 15, two days after the alleged incident was reported.

Williams has served as the adviser to the STEPS Team at Woodson.

"Though the accused are presumed innocent until proven guilty, we are diligently taking all necessary steps to safeguard our children," Superintendent Paul L. Vance said in a written statement after the second arrest.

Vance said "this kind of egregious offense against children in our school system ... will not be tolerated, and we will cooperate with authorities to ensure that those who foist these crimes on students are punished to the full extent of the law."

Vance emphasized that engaging in inappropriate behavior with students will not be tolerated by "any coach, whether contract or employee, teacher, staff member or administrator."

DCPS Athletic Director Allen Chin, who said he does not hire coaches, met with the schools’ athletic directors on Feb. 5 to review the criminal background check policy and procedures and to discuss the consequences of not properly following such procedures.

Ralph Neal, assistant superintendent for student and school support services, planned to meet with all school principals to review the policy and to discuss the consequences for non-compliance.

D.C. school officials said they also plan to survey the criminal background check procedures used in surrounding suburban school districts and their policies for dealing with failures to follow the rules.

Copyright 2003, The Common Denominator