Republican Del. Lauren Arikan says a proposal released this week by the Harford Schools’ Board of Education president aiming to enhance standards for hiring procedures is good for the school system, but should have been put in place as an internal policy by the district’s superintendent, Sean Bulson.

“I think a new board policy will direct Dr. Bulson [on] what he should have already been doing,” Arikan said, adding that she still thinks the school board should not renew Bulson’s contract, which expires in June.

“I think this new policy is a positive that they are taking action,” she said.

The policy, drafted by Harford County Board of Education President Aaron Poynton, aims to “protect the safety and well-being of students, staff and the school community” by establishing a “board-level standard” that governs the hiring of teachers and other staff who have serious pending criminal charges.

If passed by the Harford Board of Education, the policy would require the school board to vote to either approve, or deny the hiring of any school system applicant facing charges of:

  • Crimes against children or vulnerable persons
  • Crimes involving aggravated violence
  • Weapons or firearms offenses
  • Crimes of moral turpitude including fraud, theft, bribery, corruption
  • Sexual offenses
  • Serious drug offenses
  • Any other felony offenses or pattern of criminal conduct

According to the proposal, before the Board of Education’s vote, the superintendent of Harford County Public Schools would be required to notify the board of the applicant and provide information regarding the applicant’s charges and other necessary information such as court documents, charging documents, background checks and more.

The draft policy states that before the board’s vote to approve or deny the hiring, board members would conduct an “individualized assessment” to consider:

  • The nature and gravity of the alleged offenses
  • The time elapsed since the alleged conduct
  • The relationship of the conduct to the duties of the position sought
  • The level of student contact the applicant may have in the role
  • Whether the conduct occurred in an education or child-serving setting
  • Any mitigation or job-related information lawfully available

The proposed policy will be introduced in January, Poynton said.

County Executive Bob Cassilly shared similar thoughts with Arikan regarding the timeliness of Poynton’s policy, saying he is “disappointed” a policy like this was not already put in place by Bulson.

“I commend School Board President Poynton for his efforts, but I am disappointed that the superintendent does not already have procedures to prevent criminals in our classrooms,” Cassilly said. “The superintendent is responsible for day-to-day operations, and it should not take an action by the school board to correct outrageous hiring decisions that never should have been made in the first place.”

Poynton’s push for the new policy stems from the school system’s hiring of former Edgewood Middle School English teacher Lawrence Smith. Smith was hired while he faced 15 felony charges involving tax evasion and collecting $215,000 in fraudulent overtime pay from when he worked as a Baltimore City Schools police detective. In mid-October, Smith pleaded guilty to wire fraud and tax evasion; he resigned from his teaching position in November while he was on administrative leave.

Smith’s hiring amid the felony charges sparked controversy as many community members and officials, such as Arikan, questioned the Harford Schools’ leadership. Arikan publicly criticized the school system in a letter from early November, calling for Bulson’s resignation.

During the controversy, Poynton said state law mandates the disqualification standards during the district’s hiring process — emphasizing that state law did not prohibit Smith from being hired since his charges were not only pending, but were not related to child sexual abuse, crimes of violence and sexual offenses.

Poynton’s draft policy states that “state law does not fully address risks represented by pending charges” that may involve “children, violence, weapons, sexual misconduct or other conduct inconsistent with responsibilities of school employment.”

The policy also outlines that contractors, subcontractors and long-term volunteers are required to comply with criminal history and employment history screening requirements. If passed, vendors would be required to certify that no individual with serious pending criminal charges or prior sexual offenses will be assigned to work on school property or with students.

“This proposed policy is about raising the bar,” Poynton said in a statement on social media. “The focus is preventative and forward-looking, aimed at strengthening systems and standards beyond what current law requires.”

Arikan said she is also working on drafting state legislation that would strengthen laws on background checks for educators.

Have a news tip? Contact Matt Hubbard at mhubbard@baltsun.com, 443-651-0101 or @mthubb on X.