Montgomery, AL – An Alabama House committee has approved a bill that would stop Alabama public schools from paying a teacher convicted of a felony or a sex offense involving a child.
The House Education Policy Committee on Wednesday approved the bill by Republican Rep. Chad Fincher of Semmes on an apparent unanimous voice vote. The bill would revoke the license of a teacher immediately on conviction. It now goes to the full House for debate.
Fincher said he filed the bill because of the case of Washington County teacher Charlene Schmitz, who was convicted of child enticement and continued to receive pay while serving a 10-year federal prison sentence.
Several committee members said the incident was isolated and that current procedures would probably prevent it from happening again. Fincher said the bill is still needed to make sure it doesn't.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)