Julie Rae Rickard
CLEARFIELD — A former Clearfield County Career & Technology Center administrator accused of not reporting the inappropriate behavior of a substitute teacher pleaded guilty Tuesday.
Cathy M. Thomas, 62, 274 Saint Agnes Dr., Morrisdale, who was the assistant director at the time of the incidents, pleaded guilty to failure to report or refer and a summary disorderly conduct charge. She was sentenced by Judge Paul E. Cherry to two years probation and was fined $275 plus costs.
Her attorney, Ronald Collins, noted that she no longer works for the school. He added that she has never been in trouble before in her entire life.
These charges stem from incidents at the school when Darice J. Brady-McKee, 35, LaJose, a substitute teacher, talked about her sexual encounters, displayed part of her breast and legs to students and showed other students naked photos of a man, according to testimony at the preliminary hearing.
Both Thomas and William H. Weaver, 56, 152 Lighthouse Ln., Bellefonte, who was the executive director, were aware of her actions, but they did not report them. They both resigned their positions after these accusations were brought to light.
In April Weaver pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts of failure to report or refer and disorderly conduct. He was sentenced to two years probation. Weaver is not to hold any position where he would be overseeing juveniles. He was ordered to undergo a mental health assessment and complete 100 hours of community service. Weaver was fined $1,100 plus costs.
Brady-McKee was originally charged with two felony counts of dissemination explicit sexual material to minors and 30 counts of corruption of minors. She pleaded guilty in March to one count of corruption of minors. Cherry sentenced her to three years probation and she was fined $350 plus costs.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, several students reported Brady-McKee to their regular teacher when she returned. They said Brady-McKee made comments about her personal sex life and showed them bruises on her breast from a sexual encounter. This was then reported to Thomas because Weaver was not in that day. He, however, was informed of the situation when he returned.
The students supplied written statements of what had occurred. When police talked to Weaver about it, he stated he spoke to Brady-McKee in March of 2015 and she denied the accusations. She was placed on a list of substitutes to call only if there was no one else available. Because of multiple teachers calling off work, he did allow her to substitute for a different class on March 31, 2015 and again on May 1, 2015.
When the students saw she was back on May 1, 2015, they complained and many of them contacted their parents. One of these parents then contacted police.
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