Ex-school employee faces criminal charges for conduct involving a student

A former Springfield High School employee who moved to California before giving up his Vermont teaching license Nov. 12 will be arraigned on criminal charges Tuesday.

http://www.rutlandherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2010711209901

Published November 20, 2010 in the Rutland Herald         Ex-employee of Springfield school faces criminal charges for conduct involving a student         Springfield High employee lost license over conduct with student         BY CRISTINA KUMKA Rutland Herald STAFF WRITER         SPRINGFIELD — A former Springfield High School employee who moved to California before giving up his Vermont teaching license Nov. 12 will be arraigned on criminal charges Tuesday.         Michael D. Sorrentino, 37, will be arraigned in Windsor County criminal court at 1 p.m., according to the Springfield Police Department.        The department said it referred the case to the Windsor County State’s Attorney’s office for criminal prosecution.         Robert Sand, Windsor County state’s attorney, said he couldn’t release information on anyone charged with a crime before they are arraigned.         Sorrentino gave up his right to teach in Vermont after a state Department of Education investigation into charges he violated student/teacher boundaries, according to records provided by the department Friday.         The department only released Sorrentino’s name, the school where he worked, the general grounds for why his license was revoked and when.         Sorrentino had a license to teach physical education in grades pre-K through 12, according to the department.        Sorrentino’s surrender of his license is the same as it getting revoked.         State law prevents any other details from being released unless the department brings formal charges against the licensee.         Matthew Raymond, the Education Department’s investigator in the case, said there were no findings of fact because the investigation stopped when Sorrentino agreed to give up his right to teach in Vermont.         Frank Perotti Jr., the superintendent of the Springfield School District, declined to comment.        The state department’s legal team is required to investigate and take action against an educator’s license if it receives any tips that an educator has engaged in unprofessional conduct or is found incompetent, according to the DOE’s website.         From 2001 to 2008, discipline cases under review by the state have jumped from 36 to 205, according to a summary of cases provided earlier this year.         Of those 205 cases, 42 were formally investigated and three educators had their licenses revoked or the educators surrendered them on their own.         Three educators had their licenses suspended and 23 cases were closed without action taken, according to the summary.         Numerous other Springfield High School officials did not return calls for comment.         Sorrentino is living in San Francisco, Calif., according to the state Education Department and could not be reached Friday.