Upper Bucks County Technical School’s Joint Operating Committee will discuss whether to direct the adminstration to prepare and issue requests for proposals to replace their current cleaning and maintenance contractor at Thursday evening’s meeting.
The move comes after public outrage over delayed notifications to the community about an employee who is a registered sex offender and worked at the school on two occasions.
Upper Bucks United, a grassroots advocacy organization, is urging concerned citizens to attend tomorrow’s UBCTS board reorganization meeting and voice their concerns over the school’s cleaning service having employed a registered sex offender to work at the Bedminster Township school.
The meeting time was changed to 5:45 p.m. The school’s Joint Operating Committee, or JOC, typically holds its meetings at 7 p.m.
The move to possibly replace the cleaning and maintenance contractor, C&J Environmental Inc. in Warminster, was prompted by discussions at a November meeting. The move to consider issuing requests for proposals for maintenance and cleaning services at Thursday’s meeting is listed on its agenda.
An unnamed whistleblower brought to light that a registered sex offender who had worked at the Upper Bucks County Technical School in Bedminster Township had not been disclosed in advance to the community in accordance with state Megan’s Law mandates. Then on December 3 PhillyBurbs reported that the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections is investigating, as the man working as a custodian was on parole.
So far, no allegations have been made that the C&J employee had any improper contact with students.
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David Conn is an attorney with Sweet, Stevens, Katz & Williams, LLC in New Britain and the school’s solicitor. Conn said in an email that the school has two contracts for custodial services – one for maintenance and a second for janitorial services. Both contracts were renewals signed in July and are for two year periods. Contract rights and details were not disclosed.
Conn declined to say what – if any financial – impacts would result from cancelling the contracts or what contract rights and recourse would be available to the contractor of the school.
Under Pennsylvania Law, Tier 3 sex offenders must register for life with the Megan’s Law website, are required to report their location, and information quarterly throughout the year and are classified as “high risk” offenders.
Megan’s Law mandates that Tier 3 offenders, considered at a high risk for re-offending, are subject to community notification requirements.
PA.gov said active community notification is “not standard” for all Tier 3 offender classifications, and it was not available as to which designation the C&J employee was listed.
The employee worked at the school in January and July and has not worked at the campus since July, according to Laura Foster, a Pennridge School District parent and East Rockhill Township resident.
“Active community notification…can only take place for a sexual offender who has been given either a Sexually Violent Predator (SVP) or a Sexually Violent Delinquent Child (SVDC) designation,” the state website said.
Foster is calling for UBCTS to immediately terminate its contract with C&J Environmental Inc. in Warminster because they allowed a registered sex offender to work at the campus without notice to the school community as mandated by Pennsylvania Megan’s Law provision.
“Why weren’t parents notified” right away, “who reported the violation to child protective services, and why wasn’t it reported prior to August,” Foster said during a phone interview.
At a November 20 facilities meeting, Foster said the topic was brought up.
“This person is listed as a Tier 3 offender and is not allowed in a school,” Foster said.
C&J Environmental Inc. in Warminster is the current cleaning services contractor hired by Upper Bucks County Technical School, which serves students in Palisades, Pennridge and Quakertown Community school districts.
“Because this is an issue and there is a breach of trust, there needs to be reconciliation with parents.” – Laura Foster, Local Parent
“They will vote [Thursday night] and I think there are enough votes to get C&J out, and do a request for proposal [RFP] for a new contractor,” Foster said.
Under Pennsylvania’s Megan’s Law, sexual offenders and sexually violent predators are required to register with the commonwealth.
Pennridge School Board Director Leah Rash, who is a new member of the JOC hopes due to the contractor’s employee arrangement appearing to be in violation of the state’s Megan’s Law reporting mandates, that the school would be able to exercise an early “opt out” to the contract.
“Our contracts should protect our students more than they protect the contractor,” Rash said.
Upper Bucks United, a grassroots advocacy organization has called on community members to provide a show of support for student safety and well-being and attend Thursday’s meeting.
“There were two students working with the IT department over the summer” at the school when the employee’s status was discovered and called out by the whistleblower, according to Foster, “this [situation] was confirmed by the school.”
Foster said the public and school community deserves to know who reported the violation to child protective services.
So far, no allegations have been made that the C&J employee had molested students.
“Because this is an issue and there is a breach of trust, there needs to be reconciliation with parents,” Foster said.
If you go:
What: Upper Bucks County Technical School annual reorganization board meeting and regular business meeting, where a request for proposal for a new cleaning and maintenance services contractor is expected to be voted.
When: Thursday, December 18 at 5:45 p.m.
Where: 3115 Ridge Road, Perkasie, 18944
