Verdicts sought for former officials, not county

Former county deputy director of homeland security Keith Washington will go on trial in November for second-degree murder and a host of other charges related to the shooting of two deliverymen in his home. Washington also goes on trial in October for allegedly threatening a real estate appraiser with a gun not long after the shooting.

And former at-large school board member Nathaniel Thomas goes on trial in October for allegedly having a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old student when he was a teacher a few years ago.

All three men have pleaded not guilty and are vigorously fighting the charges.

It would seem that the sordid details of what occurred would cause the county to hit rock bottom image-wise, but the opposite is true. No matter the outcome of the trials, Prince George’s should continue to move upward.

School superintendent John E. Deasy was selected to replace Hornsby and has, in just over a year, put in place major school programs to address problems such as chronic truancy and low test scores.

Both Washington and Thomas provided reminders on the importance of having qualified, well-investigated county leaders.

Washington had a reputation for angry outbursts and still ended up with one of the top posts in homeland security. Whether or not he is guilty, his inability to stay calm in extreme situations was not the best qualifier for his appointment to a top security spot by County Executive Jack B. Johnson.

A principal at the school where Thomas taught had received complaints from parents about inappropriate remarks Thomas allegedly made to their sons, yet the principal failed to pass on those complaints since Thomas left the school.

When it came time to replace Thomas, the county executive did an extensive background search on his nominee – even delaying the announcement to allow for a thorough investigation to prevent a repeat problem. Lessons learned.

It is possible that more county dirt will be dredged up during the trials, but hopefully it will only be the last stages of the county’s cleansing. Accountability has been demanded, progress has been made and Prince George’s is moving forward.

No more excuses

More than 1,000 Prince George’s County students still do not have the required immunizations for school, which begins in just 11 days.

The number is a significant improvement from the nearly 6,000 county students who failed to meet a January deadline for the chickenpox and hepatitis B immunizations, but it is still too high.

School and health department employees have gone above and beyond to make sure parents are aware of what is needed and have access to free shots, even going door to door to provide information. It is reprehensible for children to miss school because their parents fail to meet their obligations.

The school board must make parental involvement a priority this year, with a focus on parents who are failing to meet children’s most basic needs.