SLIDELL, La. (AP) — An expert says a man convicted of raping a child at an elementary school in Louisiana shouldn’t have been hired in the first place.
The New Orleans Advocate reports Edward Dragan, a former educator from New Jersey, testified for the victim Wednesday against the St. Tammany Parish School Board. A trial began Monday in a lawsuit charging the board with negligence for the hiring.
Dragan says there were “red flags” that should’ve prevented Abney Elementary School from hiring Dino Schwertz in 2007, the year the now 22-year-old man was raped.
Dragan says officials didn’t compare Schwertz’s application with his background check, which showed Schwertz had been convicted of crime. On his application, Schwertz denied having a conviction. Dragan says officials also didn’t speak with Schwertz’s references or previous employer.
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Information from: The New Orleans Advocate, http://www.neworleansadvocate.com