Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Guv'ment / Scandal Fulton DA eyes criminal prosecutions in APS cheating scandal
Posted by Thomas Wheatley @thomaswheatley on Tue, Nov 30, 2010 at 6:21 PM
- CL File/Joeff Davis
- Fulton DA Paul Howard
Howard today named former Attorney General Michael Bowers and former DeKalb County DA Robert Wilson, the two investigators appointed by Gov. Sonny Perdue to probe the cheating scandal, as special prosecutors to help him determine which cases might call for criminal charges. Teachers and school officials could face possible felony charges of up to five or 10 years if found guilty.
The so-called "blue ribbon panel" of business and civic leaders which APS commissioned after the state questioned students' test scores will also be part of the investigation, Bowers told WSB-TV's Richard Belcher.
Richard Hyde, the state Judicial Qualifications investigator and member of Perdue's team, has also been brought onboard by Howard. Eleanor Ross, the executive assistant DA, will lead the investigation. The team will work with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which in mid-October dispatched more than 50 agents to interview APS teachers and administrators. An unnamed official close to the investigation told the AJC earlier today that "numerous" teachers had fessed up to changing students' test papers.
"It is my intention to exhaust every available investigative tool necessary to reach the truth, including but not limited to further interviews by this legal team, continued interviews by the GBI and investigators with the District Attorney's office, as well as the possible impaneling of a special investigative grand jury," Howard said in a statement.
He continued: "I am asking for the continued cooperation of the Atlanta Public School System and all parties who may be associated with this process. Additionally, I am encouraging anyone with specific knowledge of these allegations of 'test cheating' to come forward now, so that we can move quickly in the right direction."
CL asked the DA's office if the special prosecutors have the ability to offer witnesses immunity — a move that could possibly help gather more evidence and help investigators get to the root of the cheating — but we never heard back. WSB-TV's Belcher asked Howard at today's presser if the prosecutors were prepared to cut deals with people in exchange for testimony.
"We want to get at the truth," Howard said. "And we'll just leave it at that."
J. Tom Morgan, APS' outside counsel for the test tampering investigation, said in a statement:
Atlanta Public Schools will cooperate fully and completely with the Fulton County District Attorney's office, just as the school system has done with the state investigation. Superintendent Dr. Beverly L. Hall has repeatedly demanded that every employee cooperate with investigators or face termination. If any employees violated criminal laws during the course of their employment with the Atlanta Public Schools, they should be prosecuted. Dr. Hall believes strongly that such prosecutions are in the interest of the community at large, and especially in the interest of school children who may have been harmed by these actions. If Atlanta Public Schools has reasonable evidence that someone has violated an ethical standard required of all our educators, the Superintendent will immediately move to terminate that individual's contract, without waiting for criminal prosecution.Criminal prosecutions. Special investigative grand jury. Things just got real.
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