The independent investigation into how Portland Public Schools helped a longtime educator evade allegations of sexual misconduct will also look at the district's handling of another former teacher.

The school board's chair and two co-vice chairs called for that addition in a memo sent to investigators Friday.

Board leadership asked investigators to look at how district employees responded to questionable conduct by former longtime teacher Norm Scott, particularly how they handled his departure from the district and subsequent reference checks by other school districts where he sought work.

The move is another signal that the investigation the board launched in response to an August 2017 investigation by The Oregonian/OregonLive is intended to zero in on systemic problems and patterns in order to offer recommendations to protect students against sexual misconduct. The news story revealed how the district botched students' first-hand complaints of sexual misconduct against educator Mitch Whitehurst. It found a system that protected Whitehurst, not students, at many turns.

The board's independent investigators, who have been at work for months on the Whitehurst matter, were given a broad scope.



Norm Scott had a long career in Portland Public Schools, including at Sellwood Middle School and Grant High. Last year he was found guilty of sexually touching six Oregon City middle school students on a single day that he served as their substitute gym teacher.

The board leaders' memo said, "We would like the investigation to be informed by the district's response to allegations raised about inappropriate conduct of former (Portland Public Schools) teacher Norm Scott, including the agreements entered into between the district and Scott and employment references provided by PPS to other districts," the memo read.

"Upon review of the district's practices and actions, we have concerns with how Scott's employment termination was handled."

Scott taught in Portland Public Schools for 36 years, retired under pressure in 2012 then went on to substitute teach.

Before he retired, he was warned in writing not to text students or give them personal or romantic gifts. He subsequently texted a student aide, but the text was an innocuous request to locate some school-related paperwork.

The deal that Scott struck with the district at the time of his retirement shielded other districts from learning most of those details.

The district agreed to provide limited details to any future employers: what dates Scott worked, positions he held and that he retired. Scott was ordered to only say he chose to retire "after taking a short leave of absence," and not mention any details about his agreement with the school district or what led up to it, according to the retirement agreement.

It also said that, "with regard to the current inquiry into an allegation of misconduct — an allegation that Mr. Scott refutes — the district will seal all investigative materials mentioning such investigation...the district acknowledges that no formal investigation findings or recommendations were reached and no discipline issued."



Read other developments from The Oregonian/OregonLive's Benefit of the Doubt investigation here.

— Bethany Barnes

Got a tip about Portland Public Schools? Email Bethany: bbarnes@oregonian.com