School Bans Founder Over 24-Year-Old Pot Arrest - Cites State Moral Turpitude Law

[The Straight Story]

School Bans Founder Over 24-Year-Old Pot Arrest
School Board Cites State Moral Turpitude Law


COCOA, Fla. -- The founder of a Central Florida charter school can no longer be on campus or have contact with students because of a 24-year-old felony conviction for conspiracy to import and distribute marijuana.

The Brevard County School Board last week demanded that Einstein Montessori's founder Zach Osbrach, 53, cease contact with students and keep away from the Cocoa campus or the school will risk losing its charter, Local 6 News partner Florida Today reported.

State law prohibits anyone convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude to serve in a position that requires contact with students. Several school districts, including Brevard, consider drug distribution a crime involving moral turpitude.

Osbrach opened the school in 2003 and has worked on campus as its director since. Although they've known about Osbrach's conviction since 2004, district officials said they allowed him to continue in the position because the school assured them that Osbrach had no contact with children.

Through recent site visits and interviews, district officials discovered otherwise.

http://www.local6.com/news/11175296/detail.html

[sakabatou]

1. ::headdesk::

[CatholicEdHead]

2. I would think he turned himself around in 24 years

[villager]

3. But of course child-molesting Baptist preachers -- fine!

n/t

[dapper]

4. Why do people plead guilty?

He said he is guilty only of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. On one occasion in 1978, Osbrach said, he was with a childhood friend when his friend "was doing a marijuana deal." Five years later, Osbrach said, despite his innocence, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to import and distribute marijuana to avoid jail time. He was sentenced to two years of probation.

"I never sold marijuana. I never distributed marijuana. I took no part in the situation," Osbrach said. "I was with him when he was involved. I shouldn't have been with him."


If your not guilty, why plead guilty? If my friend was selling drugs and I had no part in it other than standing next to him, I would think my friend would vouch for me.

My friend would say "Listen, I was the one doing the selling..." and explain the situation.

Dapper

[lectrobyte]

8. Sometimes you have no choice. Plead guilty, or face worse consequences. Maybe your

friend wasn't as good a friend as you thought, and is trying to cut the best deal for themself by implicating you.

[Eric J in MN]

5. The stupidity of Zero Tolerance. NT

NT

[michaelwb]

6. Well

If something doesn't involve moral turpitude, it's just not worth doing. ;-)

Majorly stupid decision.

Aren't we at the quota for these yet?

[MadHound]

7. Damn that's hardcore

Most state boards allow you at least one strike. It almost sounds like they left this Sword of Damacles hanging over his head as some sort of threat, don't do as we like and down it comes.