No Sealed File, No Red Flags on Czukoski's Hiring, School Board Says

The Rose Tree Media Board of School Directors president made a statement regarding the recent charges filed against Dr. Troy Czukoski at Thursday's legislative meeting.

Last week, federal charges of possession of child pornography were filed against the former Springton Lake Middle School principal.

At a special meeting on March 12, the board accepted Czukoski's resignation effective March 5. He had been hired July 1, 2012.

School Board President John Hanna made a statement on behalf of the board regarding recent rumors about Czukoski's hiring.

No members of the public spoke during the public comment section of the meeting.

Hanna's statement was read as follows:

Dr. Czukoski was one of many applicants for this position. He passed the academic screening test that all applicants are given and he completed an online interview. As he moved on through the process, his application was screened and his credentials verified by our human resources department.

He presented all the required legal clearances for child abuse, the FBI, and the PA State Police.

He sat through five separate interviews. Parents, students, teachers, administrators, the superintendent and members of this board interviewed and rated this candidate relative to the characteristics and experience for which we were looking. Never was there a doubt that Dr. Czukoski was a serious candidate.

As is his practice, Superintendent Jim Wigo, personally, called and spoke with the superintendent and the assistant superintendent and the former human resources director from the Phoenixville Area School District [where Czukoski worked prior to RTM]. He spoke with parents, who knew him as a teacher, an administrator and a coach for West Chester East High School, as well.

He received rave reviews and accolades from everyone for his years of work in West Chester and Phoenixville.

We have never had reason to doubt the integrity of these references. Never, in the many years of his employment with the West Chester and Phoenixville Area school districts, nor in the 14 weeks he spent in Rose Tree Media School District, has a student or parent come forward to accuse him of untoward or inappropriate behaviors.

Of course, there are a variety of rumors that are being fueled by individuals from all three districts that are just that, rumors.

These rumors were addressed by Wigo, Dr. Taylor and Mr. Kelly at the Springton Lake Middle School parent meeting last week. Let me restate what we believe to be true.

• There is no sealed file held by Phoenixville.
• No one here knew him as a friend.
• There were no "red flags" that were ignored.
• Czukoski had no "in" to be considered for the position or allowing him to jump over other candidates.
• To the best of our knowledge, no one else in this district is being investigated for this or any other legal matters.

I hope this statement and the meeting held last week provide a more clear understanding of the common practice of due diligence that the district undertook for this and every hire.

The administration will examine our hiring process and with a team of stakeholders, critically analyze the path that our applicants take on their way to employment in our district. The public and the board are anxious to hear the results of that analysis.

Thank you for expressing your concerns.

See more on Media Patch

• Feds Investigate Springton Lake Principal
• No Details on Federal Investigation of Springton Lake Principal
• RTM School Bd: No Information on Springton Principal Probe
• Paid or Unpaid Leave for Springton Lake Principal?
• Acting Principal Named for Springton Lake MS
• New Principal to Greet Springton Lake Students on First Day of School