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	Priests in Sex Abuse Cases Still Holding Teaching Certificates Associated Press, carried in Cleveland Plain Dealer October 9, 2006 http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/116038271940580.xml&coll=2 Toledo- Eight priests who have been convicted or accused of child sex abuse continue to hold state-issued certificates to teach in private and religious schools, a newspaper reported Friday. Another priest convicted of possessing child pornography and a teacher who is not a priest but was accused of sexually touching a female student also have teaching permits, The Toledo Blade said. The Ohio Board of Education next week plans to revoke the teaching certificate for Stephen G. Rogers, a former religion teacher at Toledo's Central Catholic High School. He was convicted of possessing child pornography in 2003. The state also is investigating the certificates of the nine others. Only one is known to be still teaching, the Blade reported. Victor Whiting, who is not a priest, was accused of touching and harassing a 15-year-old girl while at St. John's High School in Delphos in 1990, according to a lawsuit. The Diocese of Toledo settled the lawsuit with the victim. Whiting now is a teacher and coaches football at Northwest High School in Canal Fulton, south of Akron. He refused to comment when contacted by The Blade. A message seeking comment was left with Whiting on Friday. The state was not aware that Whiting and the priests still had certificates until contacted by the newspaper. "Anyone who would dare to prey upon a child has no business working with kids because of the recidivism rate," said Claudia Vercellotti of Toledo, who is a coordinator of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. Public and private schools are not required to notify the state licensing board when they discipline a teacher for a sex offense.
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