Stephen Sarappo

8/10/2019 Stephen Sarappo

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COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA

PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AND PRACTICES COMMISSION

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, :Petitioner, :

:

:

v. : DOCKET NO. DI-14-28

:

:

STEPHEN SARAPPO, :

Respondent. :

:

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

On June 23, 2014, the Department of Education (Department) filed a Motion for

Judgment on Default, seeking revocation of the educator certification and employment

eligibility of Respondent. Initially, the Department filed a Notice of Charges on May 7,

2014, alleging that the Respondent had engaged in professional misconduct and

requesting discipline against his Instructional II teaching certificate in the area of Social

Studies 7-12.

The Department served the Notice of Charges on Respondent by certified and

first class mail. Notwithstanding the language in the Notice of Charges cautioning

Respondent that failure to respond could result in the factual assertions being deemed

admitted and the imposition of discipline without a hearing, Respondent declined to file

an answer or otherwise respond to the Notice of Charges. Accordingly, the Department

has filed the instant Motion, requesting that the factual allegations in the Notice of

Charges be deemed admitted and that revocation of Respondents educator

certification and employment eligibility be ordered.


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In accordance with the Commissions bylaws, a professional educator who fails

to respond to the Notice of Charges is in default as provided for in section 35.37 of the

General Rules of Administrative Practice and Procedure. 22 Pa. Code 233.115(c)(1);

1 Pa. Code 35.37. Thus, all relevant facts stated in the Notice of Charges will be

deemed admitted. Accordingly, the Commission finds that Respondent, at all times

relevant herein, was employed as a teacher in the Bethlehem Area School District

(District). On October 12, 2012, the Respondent resigned his position with the District

after being confronted regarding his misuse of a District issued laptop. Specifically, the

Respondent admitted that he used his District issued laptop to access sexually explicit

websites in December, 2010, and on October 1, 2012, and that he had projected the

URL for one of those sites on his classroom white board during instructional time. The

Respondents misconduct violated the Districts policy on Computer, Network and

Internet Use.

The Commission repeatedly has found that the use of school district issued

equipment to access sexually explicit websites1and materials offends the morals of the

Commonwealth and sets a bad example to students. The Commission thus finds that

Respondents conduct constitutes immorality2.

Similarly, the Commission finds that Respondents repeated violation of District

policy falls within the Commissions definition of negligence3. Having determined that

Respondents conduct constitutes immorality and negligence, the Commission finds

1 The websites included ones depicting teens in pornographic videos.2 Immorality has been definedby the Commission as conduct which offends the morals of theCommonwealth and is a bad example to the youth whose ideals a professional educator has a duty tofoster and elevate. 22 Pa. Code 237.3.


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ORDER

AND NOW, this 17thday of July, 2014, upon consideration of the Motion for

Judgment on Default filed by the Department of Education and the failure of

Respondent to respond thereto, it is hereby ORDERED that the educator certificationand eligibility to be employed as a charter or cyber charter school staff member or acontracted educational provider staff member of Respondent STEPHEN SARAPPOshall be REVOKED.

PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS ANDPRACTICES COMMISSION

BY: _____________________________Gilbert R. GriffithsChairperson

ATTEST: _____________________________Carolyn AngeloExecutive Director

Date Mailed: July 17, 2014

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Stephen Sarappo