MSD Washington Township School Board Member Calls For Investigation

Over at Ogden on Politics is a copy of a letter from Washington Township School Board Member, Greg Wright, asking for an investigation of multiple issues surrounding the contracted security services of a company called Securitex. I reprint the letter below:

Monday, March 01, 2010

Dear Superintendent Whitesell, Mr Hartman, and Honorable Zoller,

This letter is the official request of an elected member of the MSD Washington Township Board of Education.

Please investigate allegations that MSD Washington Township school administrators have intimidated and obstructed school police officers from carrying out their lawful duty to report.

Further, it is my request that you assist in the return of $5,493,868 to the taxpayers of MSD Washington Township. This is the amount of money paid to Securatex, an Illinois Corporation, by MSD Washington Township since 2001. An agreement between MSD Washington Township and Securatex dated 9/13/02 and amended 7/24/03 and 8/24/04 appears to never have been approved by the MSD Washington Township Board of Education. Since payments were made to Securatex for at least a year prior to the 9/13/02 date of this agreement, there may be

A Citizen has informed me that several firms have approached the MSDWT Administration requesting permission to bid on its security guard business and have been denied that opportunity. In 2009 alone, MSDWT paid Securatex $870,828.
Further, last Thursday February 25, 2010, I informed MSDWT Superintendent James Mervilde that a Citizen approached me and offered concerns that Securatex was not licensed to provide security and guard services to our school district. Mervilde assured me the following day that Securatex was properly licensed. However, a Citizen informed me that she has filed a complaint alleging that Securatex, an Illinois Corporation, does not meet the Indiana requirements of law to conduct business as a security guard service provider because, since 2007, it has not have a “resident licensee” as required by Indiana Code 25-30-1-14.

Therefore, since the safety of our children and teachers depend in large part upon having qualified and properly licensed security personnel, and because the taxpayers need to be treated fairly, particularly in these difficult economic times, these matters require your immediate attention.

Although this is an election year, I have not chosen to run for re-election to the MSD Washington Township Board of Education, and I am not a candidate for any public office.

Sincerely,
Gregory Wright, Elected Member
MSD Washington Township Board of Education

[edited to add : Dana Vice has two new entries on this matter over at 'Welcome to My Tea Party']