Report slams Stamford over teacher sex scandal

Stamford's Board of Education members says it will now look into a teacher sex scandal, after a new report suggests administrators failed to report the activity for months. After former teacher Danielle

News 12 Staff

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May 2, 2015, 1:47 AM

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Updated 3,526 days ago

Stamford's Board of Education members says it will now look into a teacher sex scandal, after a new report suggests administrators failed to report the activity for months.

After former teacher Danielle Watkins was sentenced to five years in prison for having sex with a 17-year-old student, the city hired a private law firm to investigate the matter.

Their report, released this week, claims school administrators were more concerned about "potential consequences to the teacher" than student safety.

Instead of notifying authorities, the report says administrators spent months conducting their own informal investigation, even using a student to run surveillance on Watkins.

Starting next week, the school board will start looking at what policies to change and whether anyone, including the superintendent, should lose their jobs.

The district says all staff have been retrained on mandatory reporting requirements.

The report blames much of the alleged cover-up on what it calls a "culture of fear" in Stamford schools. Many teachers told investigators they were afraid of retaliation if they spoke up about problems.