One doesn’t have to be a parent or an educator to feel nauseated by Waco school officials’ ill-advised decision to allow a man to teach his pre-kindergarten and kindergarten class despite alarming evidence that he repeatedly sexually assaulted a 5-year-old girl at Alta Vista Montessori Magnet School. The fact Waco police were actively investigating allegations against the teacher only makes the Waco Independent School District’s decision more puzzling.

Fernando Campos is no longer teaching. He was arrested on campus Monday and taken to jail. But parents, educators and residents are left to ponder why, after allegations were raised and damning evidence introduced, Campos was allowed to re-enter the classroom. The Waco ISD says its human resources department investigated the incident and that Campos was allowed to return to the classroom on the advice of WISD attorneys. We’re told that an extra teacher aide was sent along as well, apparently to keep an eye on matters.

Waco police tell us that they and Child Protective Services attorneys told school district officials not to allow Campos back into the classroom. School district officials say they knew of the police investigation but were not privy to just what police were learning, something Waco police Detective Fabian Klecka says is inaccurate.

No doubt arguments will arise about whether school district protocol was followed in this instance and whether the right people were brought into the decision-making process. Certainly, lots of questions must be asked (and no doubt will at a special meeting of the school board this Saturday). But in the end, when school officials do their postmortem on this botched affair, we hope our children are the focus of any inquiry and restructuring. They’re supposed to be the school district’s priority, above all else.

Sadly, that didn’t seem to be the case this time. The public has a right to know how this matter was fumbled, why leadership failed to do the right thing and how district protocol should be righted so that our children are safe and the system is forever ensuring their welfare.

RELATED SEARCHES

• Waco school trustees set safety meeting for Saturday after teacher's arrest