Reynoldsburg City Schools incompetent on issues of child safety. So, it’s time for superintendent Dr. Tracy Reed to resign

Recently, Anglican Watch passed along to Reynoldsburg City Schools our profound concerns about the possibility that Dan McClain will teach in the schools. The response, while unsurprising, illustrates profound problems with the school system and Dr. Tracy Reed, the school system superintendent.

To be clear, we were careful to flag the fact that the allegations against Dan McClain are just that — allegations. As such, these allegations have not been adjudicated in a court of law, and their accuracy must be independently assessed.

The specific allegations about Daniel McClain that concern us are primarily set forth in the diocesan clergy disciplinary complaint against McClain, and include:

• Claimed misappropriation of church finds.
• Claims of questionable veracity.
• Assertions of bullying, manipulation, and abuse.
• Assertions that McClain emotionally abuses his wife and children.
• Allegations that Dan McClain violated a court restraining order prohibiting him from coming within 500 feet of his wife. (Recall that our investigation concluded that Dan knowingly did violate the court order.)

But what is troubling about the school district’s response is Reed’s claim that the District does not discuss personnel issues unless required to do so by law. A copy of her response is below.

Put bluntly, the claim that the school district does not discuss personnel issues is a disingenuous and unhelpful fabrication.

For example, if a parent comes to Reed and says, “A teacher punched my child,” is she really going to respond by saying, “We can’t discuss that. We’re not required to do so.”?

Let’s hope not.

Similarly, if a parent comes to Reed and says, “My child came to me and told me that teacher X molested her at summer camp,” is Reed really going to cover her ears and start loudly singing, “Fa-la-la-la-laaaaaa….I can’t hear you!…..No talking about personnel issues……Fa-la-la-la-laaaaaa”?

As to Reed’s bit about a background check, even substantiated child sex offenders often come up clean in a background check. (We do not suggest that McClain is a child molester.) And since the vast majority of offenses against children go unreported, a clean background check has little probative value. It’s merely a necessary baseline, and diligent inquiry of friends, neighbors, past employers, and those with additional information is REQUIRED in order to promote child safety. Repeat: REQUIRED.

In other words, any effective background check relies on third parties to come forward. Similarly, keeping children safe requires that those with concerns are encouraged to come forward, that they understand their concerns will be taken seriously, and they will be treated with respect.

That approach is diametrically opposed to Reed’s comments:

The law goes so far as to prohibit individuals with certain criminal convictions from working in our schools. All persons currently employed by the Board have satisfactorily completed the steps necessary to be employed by the District.

We will have no further comment on this matter. Accordingly, we ask that you cease your communications with the District regarding Mr. McClain.

In other words, Reed makes clear that:

1. She doesn’t understand foundational concepts about ensuring child safety.
2. She is not open to information that might suggest that a candidate is unsuited for a teaching position.
3. She is arrogant and unresponsive.

Moreover, to be clear: Reed conflates background checks with suitability for employment. They are not the same.

Specifically, while a failed background check should be a bar to employment, passing a background check does not indicate that a candidate is suited for a teaching position.

Indeed, teaching requires an unusual combination of skills, including tact, integrity, social skills, a strong backbone, and impeccable conduct. Thus, someone can sail through a background check while being utterly unsuited to be a teacher.

Regardless of whether Reynoldsburg decides to hire Dan McClain, we maintain our position, which is that Dan McClain is spectacularly ill-suited to serve either as clergy or as a teacher. Even just the allegations about McClain’s misuse of church funds should be an absolute bar to employment in any position of trust, and even more so if that position involves children.

Indeed, hiring McClain is, in our view, akin to asking Bonnie and Clyde to head up bank security. It might work, but if history is any indication, the move is unlikely to be successful.

Thus, if Reynoldsburg does hire McClain, we go on the record as having raised our concerns early in the process.

Apropos Superintendent Dr. Tracy R. Reed, she is incompetent when it comes to the dynamics of child protection and the importance of maintaining positive lines of communication with those who raise concerns. And her basically telling us to pound sand shows that she is both clueless and arrogant—a dangerous combination.

And yes, we get that she probably had her response drafted by a city attorney, but just because an attorney writes something for you doesn’t mean it passes the sniff test. Someone can be an attorney and not know anything about the protection of child welfare — which is where Reed’s experience is supposed to come in. And, assuming Reed actually knows something about the subject, this is where she needs to have the backbone and integrity to say, “We need to take a different approach.”

Given Reed’s failure to recognize the inherent child safety issue, her fabrication about not discussing concerns about school district employees and her haughty attitude, we recommend that the Reynoldsburg City School District terminate Reed’s contract immediately. Alternatively, she can resign. But either way, someone so shockingly clueless about child safety does not belong in a position of trust, and we are willing to be quoted on that matter.

Finally, if you are a family member of a student in the Reynoldsburg School District, you have some tough questions to ask. As in, do you want someone as clueless as Reed as superintendent? We bloody well hope not.

Those who question the wisdom of Dan McClain working with children can contact the Reynoldsburg school board:

Angela Abram, President
(614) 501-0915
[email protected]

Anyone who is so spectacularly clueless about child safety is not someone to whom you should entrust the safety of your child.